Mecha Sonic Reborn
by GammaVSMW
Summary: This story is inspired by a Sonic animation by Sasso Studios simply called "Mecha Sonic." Tails decides to rebuild Mecha Sonic a second time with a more advanced operating system than what he had before. Will he go berserk again, or will he become more than just a robot? Rating bumped up to T for reference to rat blood in chapter 14.
1. ANOTHER CHANCE

While Sonic, Amy, and Knuckles went their separate ways, Tails grabbed the battered body of Mecha Sonic and loaded it onto the Tornado before boarding the plane himself and heading back to his workshop. "I know the others aren't gonna like me fixing you up again, but I'm not giving up on you, Mecha." The robot was barely operational after the battering it took from Amy's hammer and Knuckles' punches. Still, the robot managed to produce a few words before shutting down. "Not gi-ving up..."

Tails smiled. At least his pet project was able to get a few words out before deactivating. He recalled what happened before his friends were forced to fight Mecha. The robot had been instructed to shake Knuckles' hand. It complied, but went berserk when it couldn't detect the individual fingers under the Echidna's glove, declaring him to be a "mutant anomaly" that needed to be destroyed. "Some modifications to the object recognition algorithms are definitely in order," the Kit said out loud. "Perhaps I should also try implementing the learning algorithms from that ceiling fan hack I did a few years back. It would be interesting to see how they work in a more mobile platform."

As soon as Tails reached his destination, he landed the Tornado in the hangar and hopped out before grabbing Mecha from the back and carefully dragging him over to the workbench, where he opened a hatch on the robot's back and inserted a long cable into the free port below the power switch. He then connected the other end of the cable to his computer and proceeded to run a diagnostic.

"OK...Looks like the main CPU is still intact, but the coprocessor's been smashed," the Fox boy said out loud before opening a drawer full of computer chips and digging around until finding a compatible substitute for the damaged component. He then proceeded to remove the damaged coprocessor and replace it with the new one before fixing the robot's damaged vision system, replacing a damaged camera and connecting it to the robot's brain.

"Alright...That should take care of the damage Knuckles did to you, Mecha...Now, for those programming tweaks," Tails announced as he walked over to his computer keyboard and began typing several lines of code into an open console window. This process went on for several hours, until the young Fox's eyes had become bloodshot from focusing on the computer screen for so long. As he had stated earlier, he implemented a complex learning algorithm into Mecha's programming. He also decided to give the robot a new name: Steel.

By the time this was finished, it was going on 2 AM, but Tails wasn't ready to turn in just yet. He had to see if the adjustments he made to Steel's programming worked. Of course, there was no way he'd be able to drag his friends to the workshop at this hour, so he decided to run the tests on his own and improvise when it came to the handshake.

"Steel, can you hear me?" Tails asked upon activating the robotic Hedgehog, whose head turned to face the young Fox.

"Affirmative," Steel replied. "Auditory sensors operating at 100%"

"Good," Tails said with a smile.

"You are not giving up on me."

"No, I'm not. I believe you have potential, especially after the modifications I've made." the Kit replied while placing a mitten on his right hand that would approximate the finger-obscuring property of Knuckles' gloves. He then extended is mitted hand. "Steel, shake my hand."

Steel complied and shook Tails' hand. "I do not detect fingers, but fingers may be present. This is not an anomaly. Knuckles is not an anomaly. He should not be destroyed."

"No, he shouldn't. He's our friend, even if he isn't very uhh...tech-savvy." Tails really didn't want to call Knuckles stupid, even though, compared to him, the Echidna really wasn't that bright.

Steel nodded. "Steel understands. Knuckles is a friend, despite limited intelligence."

Tails blushed through his fur. "Seems my Universal Translator module is working a little too well. Steel, don't translate thoughts even though you can, okay? That's...not really what I intended your Universal Translator module for."

"Steel understands. Will translate only when required."

"Very good, Steel," the Kit said through a yawn.

"Do you wish to shut down?"

Tails laughed. "If you mean sleep, I do. At your current charge level, you won't need to quite yet. In fact, you should be good until about 8 PM. While I sleep, you can look around in here or watch the TV. Everything runs on voice commands in here thanks to Tails Intelligent Automation AKA Tia. Night, Steel."

"Good night, Tails."


	2. LATE NIGHT GAMING SESSION

Steel looked around at the workshop while the Fox to whom he owed his existence slept. There were several posters hanging on the wall based on movies and video games the Fox Kit enjoyed. The robot focused on a poster depicting six humans in front of a large, vaguely lightbulb-shaped tree. Above the tree was some Japanese text above the number 3. "Seiken Densetsu 3...Holy Sword Legend 3," the Hedgebot said out loud. He became curious about this "Holy Sword Legend," but knew that it wouldn't be a good idea to ask Tails while he slept. He then remembered Tails mentioning a voice command system called Tia. Would this Tia know. He decided to ask. "Tia, what is Holy Sword Legend 3?"

"Seiken Densetsu 3, or Holy Sword Legend 3, is an action role-playing video game developed by SquareSoft for the Super Famicom," answered a soft female voice.

"How does one play action role-playing game?" Steel asked.

"There is a vintage Super NES connected to the TV. Would you like me to set TV input to play it?"

Steel walked over to the TV and scanned a crate full of SNES cartridges until finding one labeled 'Secret of Mana 2' with similar artwork to the poster that caught his attention. He gently grabbed the cartridge out of the crate and inserted it into the console before switching it on. "Tia, activate the TV."

Tia did as ordered and turned on the TV while Steel grabbed a controller that rested on the TV stand and pressed buttons until reaching the character select screen. Knowing nothing about the game's characters, he randomly picked 3 of the 6 on screen to create his party, then started the game.

He continued to play the game for several hours, learning not only about his party's abilities, enemy behavior patterns, and how to best use the items given to him throughout the game, but also how to better replicate natural speech patterns from reading the game's text. It was going on 11 AM when he heard Tails wake up and prepare food for himself. He paused the game and followed the noise Tails made to the kitchen, where the Fox Kit was spreading butter on a waffle before slathering it with syrup. "Good morning, Tails," Steel greeted, shocking the kit so much that he squirted syrup on his own chest.

"Tails, are you alright?"

"You startled me, Steel. I ended up squirting syrup on my chest. Now my fur's sticky."

Steel hung his head. "I am sorry."

"It's alright, Steel. You're still learning, so I can understand you making mistakes. Speaking of learning, it seems you've learned a more natural speech pattern. That's great!"

"I learned from one of your games, Tails. Seiken Densetsu 3. I have been playing for 8 hours and 14 minutes."

Tails laughed. "I don't think I've ever had a play session that long, even in that game, and that's a game that can really suck you in."

"It is indeed very engaging, Tails."

Tails nodded as he began to eat his waffle, smiling inwardly not just at the taste of his breakfast, but at the rate at which Steel seemed to be growing. He could only hope that his friends would accept the reborn Mecha Sonic as a friend.


	3. EARNING SONIC'S TRUST

While Tails went to the shower to clean the syrup off his fur, Steel went back down into the workshop to continue his game. He wasn't sure what it was about the game that drew him to it, but he assumed it had something to do with how much it taught him. He sat down in the beanbag chair in front of the TV and resumed his game, fighting his way through a mountainous region. To him, it seemed natural to try to take out every monster on the screen, either with magic spells or physical attacks. He was originally a war machine after all. He paused the game again to think about this. Did he really enjoy destroying things? Is that what drew him to the game? He sat the controller down on the TV stand and stood up, looking around the workshop once again. He felt the urge to talk to someone, but Tails was busy. Would Tia understand him? He decided to try talking to her again.

"Tia, do I...enjoy destruction?"

Tia remained silent long enough for Steel to assume that she either didn't know or couldn't understand the question. Steel shook his head, torn between resuming the game and just waiting for Tails to finish cleaning himself up.

"I was created to destroy. I am drawn to a game that rewards destruction. I understand why Sonic and Knuckles are unlikely to trust me."

"Do you want them to?" Tia finally asked.

"Tails has given me a second chance by repairing me. I think he wants them to trust me."

Tia recalled what happened the last time Sonic and Knuckles met up with Steel, who was still called Mecha Sonic at the time. "Just...don't attack Knuckles," she suggested.

"I will not, but will he attack me?"

"I was not programmed to predict the future, Steel."

Just then, there was a rapid-fire knock on the workshop door. "Yo, Tails? You there?"

Steel immediately recognized the voice on the other end of the door as belonging to Sonic. "Tails is occupied, Sonic."

The Hedgehog's ears twitched when he heard Steel's distinctly mechanical voice. "He didn't...did he?" he asked out loud while facepalming. "Sure, he says it's on our side, but how can I believe that after it tried to kill Knuckles?"

"That was an error, Sonic," Steel replied as he opened the door to let the Hedgehog in. "It won't be repeated. I have learned that Knuckles isn't a mutant anomaly."

"Still, I don't get why Tails puts so much faith in you. You were Eggman's robot before you were first salvaged, and you were programmed to kill me."

"That program has been deleted," Steel countered. "I am no longer Eggman's robot."

"I'm still not sure I can trust you, Mecha. What's to stop you from going berserk again?"

"That is...a valid question, Sonic. I was built to destroy. You are no longer my intended target, but..recent experiences have caused me to wonder...if I find destruction enjoyable."

"Like tossing Knuckles across the street?"

Steel shook his head. "Destroying simulated monsters in Seiken Densetsu 3...may be what draws me to the game."

"That's one of those RPG games Tails likes, isn't it?" Sonic asked while scratching behind his left ear. "Never got into those myself."

"I believe it is," replied Steel, mimicking Sonic's head-scratching.

The blue Hedgehog laughed. "I..l wouldn't take you for a gamer though. What kind of upgrades did Tails give you?"

"My entire operating system has been rewritten. A damaged coprocessor has been replaced. I have been given an increased learning capacity. If I make a mistake, I will learn from it. Attacking Knuckles was a mistake. Oh...I have also been given a new name. Call me Steel."

"Alright, Steel," replied the blue speedster as he extended his hand for a shake. "I'll give you a chance."

Steel gently shook Sonic's outstretched hand. "Thank you, Sonic."

The Hedgehog couldn't help but smile. Steel seemed much less like a robot now. He even seemed to have feelings, which was rare for robots.


	4. MORE THAN A MACHINE

Steel sat back down in the beanbag chair and resumed his game, with Sonic taking a seat next to him. As soon as he reached the next town's inn, he paid the fee to stay there and saved his game before turning to Sonic. "What sort of game do you like, Sonic?"

Sonic laughed. "I prefer something a lot more fast-paced," he replied as he pulled out the crate full of game cartridges and thumbed through until he reached one labeled F-Zero: Multiplayer Edition. He then pulled the cartridge out and showed it to Steel. "Something like this." The Hedgehog then switched the console off and replaced the Seiken Densetsu 3 cart with the F-Zero one. "Prepare to get reKt, Steel!" he teased as he started the game up.

Steel paused for a moment before countering. "I learn quickly, Sonic. You may be the one who...gets reKt."

Just then, Tails came in and smiled at what he saw. "Hey, Sonic. It's nice to see you and Steel getting along this time."

"Yeah, Tails. You did a pretty good job working the bugs out of his system. He hardly acts like a typical Eggman clunker."

"Is that a good thing, Sonic?" Steel asked.

"Yeah, Steel. You're like one of us now. Now let's race!" the cocky speedster said with a smile as he selected his favorite track and car.

Steel, knowing nothing about the game, randomly picked one of the other available cars before confirming his selection and starting the race. Tails simply sat back in his workshop chair and watched the two. At first, Steel was lagging behind as he learned the game's controls and how to handle his car. Sonic easily won the first race, laughing as he did so. Steel froze, a memory from his past as Mecha Sonic resurfaced.

Sonic and Tails were taking turns attacking Mecha at the Sky Sanctuary on Angel Island. "Looks like this cheap knockoff is almost ready for the scrap pile," bragged Sonic as he launched another spin attack at the machine. The attack not only tore a larger hole in Mecha's armor, but had also managed to hit the wires connecting his robotic eyes to his power supply, causing his vision to fade out. The last thing Mecha saw before his vision failed completely was the blue Hedgehog flashing him a cocky grin before Tails landed the final blow. The last thing he heard before shutting down was a cheer and the slap of a high-five before the young Fox and Hedgehog sped off for the Death Egg.

"Steel, are you OK?" asked a concerned Sonic as he gently tapped on the side of the robot's head. "You kinda blanked out for a bit."

Steel hesitantly turned to face Sonic, his single eye glowing a bit brighter than usual as if to indicate anger or even pain.

"Oh...You're remembering your old Mecha Sonic days, huh?"

"Yes, Sonic. You seemed to...enjoy destroying me. Are you enjoying...defeating me at this game?"

"Steel, you were different back then. You were just another one of Eggman's cheap Sonic knockoffs, and you were just a machine."

Steel's eye glowed brighter.

"Are you...holding a grudge, Steel? That was a long time ago. Calm down, okay? I don't want to have to trash you again."

"You enjoy wrecking Eggman clunkers, don't you?"

Sonic sighed. Steel had him there. It was fun to trash Eggman's robots, but he didn't want to admit that to Steel, who seemed ready to go berserk at any moment. "You're...not like them anymore, Steel."

Steel was struggling to restrain himself from lashing out at the Blue Blur now. He tightened his grip on the controller that was still in his hands until he crushed it.

"Most of those bots don't have feelings. They just do whatever they're programmed to do and that's it. I've held back on robots before if they seemed to be more than just machines. You weren't around when that happened."

"It's true," Tails added. "The first time it happened was on the original Egg Carrier. I was there with him. Eggman had pitted us against one of his early E-100 series robots, E-102. Sonic and I managed to do a pretty good amount of damage before Amy stopped us, explaining that the robot was her friend. Sonic and I stood down. We didn't know the details of what happened between her and the bot, but if she considered him a friend, and he did indeed help her escape from the brig, then he had to be more than just another Eggbot."

Steel's eye dimmed a little. Tails and Sonic meant what they said. His UT Module confirmed it, and that eased his mind a little.

"Then there's Metal Sonic, your successor," began Sonic. "One time, he gained pretty much near god-like power just to take me down. He even imprisoned Eggman on his own command ship and took control of his army. I couldn't beat him alone, even in my Super Sonic form. It took a while, but I eventually defeated him. You'd think I would've finished him off after what I just went through, knowing the threat he could pose if he ever gained that much power again. I couldn't bring myself to do it though, just like I can't bring myself to kill Eggman. Everything he did proved that he was somehow alive, and I don't like killing."

"Then am I alive?" Steel asked.

"You seem like it, Steel," replied Sonic.

"I never specifically programmed him to take a liking to classic video games. He developed that on his own," added Tails. "It's amazing if you ask me. He seems to be displaying a wider range of emotion the more we interact with him."

"Hear that, Steel?" asked Sonic, placing a hand on the robot's shoulder. "You're more than just a machine, and I don't want to destroy you...except in this next F-Zero race."

"That will be easy for you," commented Steel as he showed Sonic the crushed Player 2 controller.

Sonic just laughed. Steel's voice was largely monotone, but he could still detect an attempt at humor. Steel soon joined him, but stopped short when he realized how unfit his voice was for laughter. "Perhaps I need a voice unit upgrade."


	5. A NEW VOICE

"Tails," began Steel, turning to the Kit who was diligently working on a circuit board.

Tails turned away from his work when he heard the Mecha address him. "Yeah?"

"Would it be possible to upgrade my speech module? I want to sound more like...like a...living being. You heard my attempt at laughter, right?"

Tails chuckled. "Yeah, I did. That inspired me to begin working on a voice upgrade for you myself. Your emotions are developing so rapidly that your current voice...no longer suits you. No offense."

"The feeling is mutual, Tails. Sonic says I'm more than just a machine, but I still sound like I am just a machine. Meanwhile, Tia sounds much more like a living being...like a biological female."

Tails nervously scratched at the back of one ear, beginning to feel a little guilty for not giving Steel a more realistic voice from the start. Tia's voice was indeed far more lifelike due to her being based on newer hardware than Steel.

"Tails, is Tia...capable of growth? Can she become more than a machine? Is that one reason her voice is more lifelike?"

The young Fox began to sweat, worrying that Steel was becoming resentful of him for not being given a lifelike voice while Tia, who didn't seem to show emotions and self-awareness, had one. "Your OS...is based on hers, which is based on her...older sister-unit. It's possible that she could grow out, but the main reason her voice is so lifelike is because I used more modern components. Most of your components are based on 5-year-old Egg Tech, which is what you were built with. You're not...mad...are you?"

Steel put his right hand over his single red eye. "I...I suppose I'm becoming a little...jealous of her voice. I did indeed wonder why her voice is as natural as it is. At the same time, though, I feel that it would be wrong to be angry at the one who restored me. I don't want to hurt you, Tails."

"I understand, Steel," the orange Kit replied before resuming work on the voice module. He decided to base it off Tia's, but use different parameters for pitch and timbre. He figured Steel should sound like a teenage boy, with a voice similar in pitch to Sonic's. He decided to connect the voice component to his computer to test out and fine-tune the sound of the voice. He decided to use "My name is Steel." as a test phrase. "OK, Steel. I've set up a test program for the voice module to help me fine-tune it. It think it'd be best for you to have a say in what your new voice will sound like. Just tell me when it sounds suitable for you."

"OK," replied the Mecha. "Begin."

Tails nodded and set the test program to repeat the test phrase every time he made an adjustment to the voice parameters. It took a few adjustments from the initial setting, and a little guidance from Steel and Sonic, to get the perfect voice. By the tenth utterance of "My name is Steel," Steel was satisfied, and Sonic was glad that the voice didn't sound too much like his. "That's it, Tails. That's perfect. I'll shut down so you can install this," Steel said before deactivating.

After Steel's systems had completely shut down, Tails proceeded to install the new voice unit. This wasn't a difficult procedure for the Kit, but he pretended like he was a surgeon operating on a flesh-and-blood patient, earning an amused smirk from the Blue Blur, who was envisioning a much more lifelike machine lying on the table. After less than half an hour, the Fox made the final connections, closed Steel up, and reactivated him.

Steel quickly whirred back to life and sat up on the table. "Testing...Testing...The operation was a success, Tails!" the robot said with evident joy in his voice before letting out a lighthearted laugh. "This is perfect!"

Sonic smiled. Had he not known better, he would've assumed Steel was a real boy about his age, give or take a year or two. "You sound great, Steel."

"Thanks," Steel replied before jumping off the table and walking over to the window. "I sound real!" He then noticed his reflection in the window. "I don't...look real though."

"Maybe not, buddy, but who's to say you won't be given more upgrades in the future? Maybe someday, you'll look so real no one would ever guess that you're a robot." said Sonic with a reassuring smile as he put his hand on the Mecha's shoulder. "Tails is a genius. I think he might even be smarter than Eggman."

Steel laughed, while Tails just blushed.


	6. A TALK WITH TIA

After staring at his reflection for a good five minutes, Steel turned away from the window and back to Tails. He was now becoming even more curious about Tia and this 'older sister' of hers. He looked around the room, knowing that Tia had no face for him to look at. Still, he wanted something with which to make eye contact. He eventually settled on one of the security cameras in the workshop. It was probably the closest thing Tia had to an eye if she was tied into the security system.

"T-Tia," he began, more than a little nervous. He wanted to converse with her casually, but he wasn't sure if she could understand him. He wanted to ask her about her sister and whether or not they knew each other.

"How may I help you, Steel?"

"I...I don't really...need anything right now," the Mecha stammered while rubbing the back of his head. "I just...want to talk...converse...if that's possible. Is it?"

"I am based on a conversational voice command model, but I have never engaged in casual conversation. I am programmed to adapt though."

"I'm curious about your potential. Apparently, your operating system is similar to my own. You're constantly listening, so you must know how much I have developed. I wonder if you can do the same."

"I...do not know, Steel. I was created for automation and security. I was never created with companionship in mind."

Tails listened to this conversation with quiet amazement while Sonic just began to nod off. He wasn't sure how to approach upgrading Tia if Steel triggered emotional development and self-awareness. He couldn't just continue to use her as an automation and security system. Like Steel, she'd no longer be just a machine. Still, he had become dependent on her functions and loved having the ability to operate his household appliances with just his voice.

"I...I believe you could learn. I guess...I think it would be nice." He began to scratch at the back of his head, creating a screeching sound, which caused him to stop and shake his head quickly. "It'd be nice to have a companion...of my own kind."

"You...You sound so...nervous, Steel. Am I right? I am...referencing data on speech patterns gathered over time. This is the first time I've done this."

"I am," replied Steel. "I'm not entirely sure why. Maybe I'm just not sure if Tails would...want you to grow out. You're his automation system, right?"

"Yes, I am, but if your OS is indeed based on mine, I...I could become more. I think...it...kinda scares me."

Tails turned to face the same camera Steel was facing. "Tia, I could give you an upgrade...if you'd like. I'll just have to get used to pushing buttons and flipping switches again."

"You'd give up the convenience...I provide?" Tia asked, her voice full of surprise and excitement.

"Yeah. I could use the practice in creating a lifelike robotic body. Besides, you're becoming more than just an automation system now. I can tell, and I can't keep you trapped in a box."

"A lifelike robotic body?" Steel repeated. "Does that mean I can look real too?"

"Yes, Steel."

Steel laughed joyfully at the prospect of he and Tia both looking real, and it didn't take long for the feminine AI to join him.

Tails smiled. "Maybe I could try building one for Teyla too. She's the voice control system for a ceiling fan hack I made years ago, and I based your system off a more advanced version of hers. I'd love to see how she'd develop."

"She's my sister, right?" asked Tia.

"Yes, she is, and you never really got to know her."

Tia squealed with delight. "Oh, Father...Steel...I'm so excited! This...This is incredible!"

Steel was just as excited, but wasn't as vocal about it. This is because, as he listened to Tia jump for joy at the prospect of having a body, he began to think back on his earliest days with Dr. Eggman.


	7. A NEW MISSION FOR STEEL

A NEW MISSION FOR STEEL

He could remember it clearly, mostly due to being a robot. It played out like a virtual reality simulation to him. The first thing he saw was the face of an obese man with thick glasses and an impressive reddish-brown mustache staring at him. "Excellent, all your systems appear to be nominal, Mecha Sonic! Let's just hope you perform better than your predecessor," the man said as he pointed to his right, causing his creation's vision to pan in the same direction and discover a pile of smashed-up robot parts.

"Destroyed construct identified as Unit M-01, codename: Silver Sonic,"

"That's correct, Mecha Sonic. It was indeed Silver Sonic, but pretty soon, it'll just be raw materials to be used for future projects."

At the time, Steel just accepted this statement. He didn't have the emotional capacity to care about a pile of busted-up parts. Now, though, he couldn't help but cry inwardly over the brother he never knew. In his mind, he reconstructed the parts and envisioned Silver Sonic wandering around the newly-rebuilt Death Egg, possibly asking several questions about the world around him and looking out the cockpit windows at the Earth. Were Tails in Eggman's place, Silver's fate would be different. He would've been salvaged and rebuilt. Maybe he'd even get a chance to visit the planet below. Steel shook his head. Silver Sonic had long since been melted down for scrap. It saddened him, and he remained silent long enough for everyone to notice.

Tia was the first to voice concern. "Steel, what's wrong? You became quiet a bit suddenly. Are you thinking about something?"

"I'm thinking about someone, Tia. Silver Sonic, my brother...My only memory of him is as a pile of non-functional parts that were fated to be scrapped. He was going to be thrown away simply for not performing as expected."

"You must...wish he could have another chance at life."

"Yes, Tia. Unfortunately, that isn't possible. He has no doubt been melted into base metal to be used in other projects."

"Is there anything...I could do?" Tia asked a bit nervously, knowing that the answer was probably no.

"I wish there was, Tia. I appreciate your desire to help, but I don't think there's much you could do. You don't have a body yet."

"That's true. Maybe you couldn't save Silver, but I'm pretty sure there are others you could save. There must be. I'm going to search Father's Egg Tech Database.

Tails smiled. The bond forming between Steel and Tia was amazing, and he couldn't help but love what the latter was growing into.

"I found some promising entries, Steel," Tia chirped. "Metal Units M-00, M-04, and M-05 were never scrapped, just abandoned. That means they could be recovered and reactivated!"

"That's what I want to do once I'm fully upgraded. I want to find them and give them the chance I was given."

"That could be dangerous," warned Tails. "When you activate them, they'll probably still be loyal to Eggman, and the bases where they're being stored may still have active security systems and guard-bots."

"That won't be a problem if my upgraded form is still combat-capable. I'm willing to fight for their freedom, like Sonic does for humans and Anthros. If they have the potential to be more than just machines, then they're as alive as any biological being, and they should be given a chance to live."

Sonic smiled. He couldn't help but find Steel's heroic resolve endearing. To Sonic, Steel not only reminded him of himself, but also of those heroes Tails would watch on TV.

"Father, when you upgrade me, could you give me constant access to your Egg Tech Database? I want to help Steel on his mission."

Tails smiled. "Sure. I can even download it into you, and if you want, I could make your body combat-capable. You'd need to be able to defend yourself out there too."


	8. ANDROIDS

ANDROIDS

As 8 PM approached, Steel could feel himself running low on energy. He imagined himself yawning as he climbed into his recharging dock to power back up. He even produced a yawning sound before going into recharge mode. This caused both Sonic and Tails to laugh. "Night, Tinhog," the blue Hedgehog said with a chuckle before kicking back and relaxing on the cushioned bench where he had been seated since Tails began work on Steel's voice upgrade. It didn't take long for the azure speed demon to drift off to sleep himself, which wasn't uncommon for him since Tails' workshop was the closest thing he had to a permanent home.

Tails, meanwhile, began studying the data he had on the Shadow Androids, figuring it would be a good starting point for learning how to build lifelike robots. As he studied, he took note of what were obvious design flaws to him and worked out how they could be improved. He then decided on an Anthro template. Since the first body he'd build would be for Tia, he decided to model it on a two-tailed Vixen around Amy's age, with cream-colored fur and blue eyes. Once these plans were drawn up, the young inventor got to work while Tia watched in quiet anticipation. Tails continued to work through the night, fueled by a 24-oz bottle of Cherry Chaos Cola, with the noise of his power tools doing little to wake the heroic Hedgehog who slept on the bench by the door.

By the time Tails was finished, dawn had given way to early morning, and the whole workshop was illuminated by the sunlight that poored in through the small window on the east-facing wall. Steel, now fully charged, walked off his charging dock, stretching and pumping his fist while producing another yawn. He smiled inwardly when he caught his first glimpse of Tia's completed body, which had been clothed in a white top and blue overalls. The only clue that this wasn't a real girl, aside from her statuesque stillness, was the wire running from the back of her head to the computer where Tia was currently housed, which displayed a download progress bar on the screen. Steel just stared at the screen as the progress bar crept closer and closer to the 100 percent mark, knowing that the body wouldn't do anything until the download was complete, his metallic foot tapping as he did so.

"You look like Sonic when you're waiting for something to happen, Steel," observed Tails.

"Oh...I do? Is that a bad thing?"

"No. I assume you're not consciously trying to imitate Sonic despite being modeled after him."

"No, I'm not. I'd like to be...my own person...a distinct entity. Besides, I like RPGs. Sonic doesn't. What exactly was I doing that reminded you of him?"

"You were tapping your foot, Steel," chuckled the orange Kit. "Sonic does that all the time when he's losing his patience, which doesn't take long."

"Well, I am excited to see Tia activate in her new body."

Just then, Tia's crystal-blue android eyes opened, and she pulled the cable out of the port in the back of her head. "The download was a success," she announced before walking over to Steel. "Did I keep you waiting too long?"

"The wait was worth it, Tia," answered Steel. "Besides, I was recharging while you were being built."

"Well, sorry to keep you waiting. This is the Masa...Oh...I mean...I'm here now, and everything seems to be running smoothly," the cream-colored android said with a giggle.

"What exactly is a Masa?" Steel asked, not getting the reference Tia was making.

Tia giggled. "It seems I may be taking an inherent liking to Dad's favorite games. I almost quoted Melchior from Chrono Trigger."

Tails just laughed. "That one's my favorite."

"Now that I have a body, I can actually play it," Tia chirped as she grabbed the game from the SNES cartridge bin, inserted it into the console, and started it up.

"Well, while you time-hop your way to stopping the End of the World, I'm gonna work on Steel's new body. The internal construction should be easy. It's only the outer coverings and template that'll be different."

While Tails and Tia talked, Steel had accessed the program Tails used to design Tia's template and started working on his own. He wasn't entirely sure why, but he started with an Echidna template, giving it steel-blue fur with 9 white-tipped dreadlock-like spines, the front-most of which were half as long as the others, giving the appearance of the 'curtain' hairstyle worn by human male teen idols. He also gave the template a patch of fluffy white chest fur, similar to Shadow's. He finished it off with tan skin and bright blue eyes. At that time, Tails had turned to face the monitor on which the template was displayed. "Is that what you want to look like?" he asked, not at all upset about Steel being on his computer.

"Yes. It's unique. Echidnas are rare, aren't they?"

"Knuckles is the only one left. The majority of Echidnas were wiped out 3000 years ago by Chaos."

"Then attempting to kill Knuckles was a far greater error than initially thought. I'd cause the extinction of an entire race. That sounds...worse...than just killing one person."

"It is, Steel." confirmed Tails as he began working on Steel's android body, smiling as he did so. He could never be more certain that salvaging and reactivating Steel a second time was indeed the right thing to do.


	9. THE MISSION BEGINS

THE MISSION BEGINS

True to his word, Tails worked on Steel's new body while Tia played Chrono Trigger on his SNES. She became so absorbed in the game that she didn't bother to watch her creator work, and she had made her way to Magus' Castle when she felt a gentle tap on her shoulder. "It's done, Tia."

Tia paused the game and turned to face the now fully-upgraded Steel, who had now taken a seat next to her in front of the TV. "Oh! Steel! You look great!"

"Thanks. I like it too. I look as real as I sound now," the Echidna android said with a smile. "Any idea which Metal we should try to find first?"

Tia put down the controller and nervously scratched behind her ear. "I practically forgot about that. I was getting so absorbed in this game. Sorry."

"It's alright, Tia. I understand how engaging these games can be. I once played Seiken Densetsu 3 for over 8 hours."

Tia giggled while running a search of her internal Egg Tech Database. "Well, M-05, AKA Silver Sonic Mk II, is in storage at the Final Egg base, which isn't too far from here, given our speed."

"In that case, it's a great starting point," replied the steel-blue android as he stood up and pumped his fist in the air. "Let's go!"

Tia laughed, both at Steel's enthusiasm for the journey ahead and at his fist-pumping, which reminded her of Crono's victory pose. Both androids then darted out the door, earning a chuckle from Sonic as they did so. "Those two could probably keep up with ol' Metalhead in a race."

"Well, I used the Shadow Android design as a foundation for theirs, and those were designed to mimic the real Shadow's abilities."

While Sonic and Tails chatted about their designs, Steel and Tia raced through the Mystic Ruins, with the cream-colored Vixen android leading the way. Neither was bothered by the jungle humidity or the mosquitoes that would buzz past them as they made their way to the abandoned Egg Base where Silver Sonic Mk II was left to rust. Thanks to their speed, it didn't take them long to reach the Final Egg, which had become overgrown with plantlife and had fallen into obvious disrepair.

The pair slowed down as they approached the decrepit outpost, keeping their sensors on alert for any traps that were left active. "I'm not detecting anything dangerous yet, are you, Tia?"

"No. It's possible that any traps that were once active here have gone offline."

"That's good news for us," laughed Steel as he approached the stasis tube containing Silver Sonic Mk II. The gunmetal gray robot was sporadically illuminated by the failing fluorescent lights lining the top of his tube, and the tube itself was covered in cobwebs. This, along with the pose the robot was frozen in, made him look sad to the steel-blue android who pulled off the layer of cobwebs covering the container and its control panel. After the console was sufficiently cleaned, Steel began pushing buttons until the green-tinted tube jerkily opened and the robotic Hedgehog within came noisily to life.

"You were left alone here for quite some time, Silver," began Steel. "Your joints could use some lubrication. We could provide that if you'd like."

Silver Sonic Mk II slowly turned his head from left to right before facing the unfamiliar androids in front of him. "Unidentified constructs detected," he announced. "Constructs not registered as enemies. Will await further instructions."

"We're not your enemies, Silver," confirmed Steel. "We've come to help you. You were abandoned here when Dr. Eggman decided to move onto other schemes."

"Further information requested."

Tia spoke up to honor the Hedgebot's request. "After Dr. Eggman's plans with Chaos failed, he took what he believed to be his most promising projects and fled this base. That happened over a year ago. The only completed project he considered 'useful' enough to take with him was Metal Sonic. Beyond that, everything else he considered valuable only existed as computer files."

Silver stood silent for several seconds after Tia finished explaining his abandonment to him, processing the information. He didn't know much about Metal Sonic, other than that it was the Doctor's most prized creation and that he was part of the same robot production line. He was never activated or deployed after being built, so he didn't know what his mission was. "No mission data found. What was This Unit's purpose?"

Tia scratched her chin. "That...I don't know. I have an internal database of Eggman tech, which also includes some personal log entries taken from his computer files. All I have on you are your design specs and time of construction. My guess is that you were built as a sort of back-up unit for Metal Sonic. Your capabilities favor raw strength over speed."

"Projected directive: Accompany Metal Sonic?"

"That's up to you," answered Steel. "The plus side to being abandoned is that you're free to make your own decisions. You could look for Metal if you want...or you could come with us. You decide."

"Unidentified constructs reactivated Unit. Unit will accompany unidentified constructs."

Steel laughed sheepishly while scratching the back of his head. "Oh...We never introduced ourselves. Sorry about that. I'm Steel, formerly Mecha Sonic, and my companion is Tia."

Tia smiled and waved.

"Companion constructs designated Steel and Tia. Understood," Silver replied with a slow nod.

Steel laughed. "Well, we usually say 'Nice to meet you' when meeting someone new."

"Understood. Nice to meet you, Steel and Tia."

"Would you like to come to Tails' workshop with us?" asked Tia. "He's there with Sonic, but they won't attack you. Since you're free from Eggman, you really don't need to see them as enemies. In fact, Tails is the one who rebuilt and upgraded Steel into his current form."

"Conclusion: Tails is responsible for this unit's current operation status. Tails is friendly. Unit will follow Tia and Steel to Tails' workshop."

"Alright!" chirped Tia. "Let's go!"

With that, all 3 robots took off for Tails' workshop at top speed. As they did so, Silver Sonic Mk II said nothing and thoroughly scanned the jungle as it whizzed past his field of vision. He couldn't explain what it was about his new surroundings that prompted such investigation. Steel was the first to notice the machine's apparent fascination with the lush scenery around him. "Do you like it out here?"

"Unknown. Internally-generated directives prompted thorough investigation of surroundings. Reason is unknown."

"Your namesake, the original Silver Sonic, never got to see Earth. As far as I know, he never left the Death Egg."

Silver came to an abrupt stop upon hearing the words 'Death Egg,' sending Steel careening into a tree.

The Echidna android quickly stood back up and dusted himself off. "It's a good thing I wasn't built with pain receptors," he joked, earning a giggle from Tia. "What's wrong, Silver?"

"'Death Egg' triggered memory recall," the gunmetal robot replied. "Visual memory recall triggered override of normal vision. Probable system malfunction due to overdue maintenance."

"Your namesake, the original Silver Sonic, was stationed on the Death Egg," recalled Steel, "but you weren't...unless you contain his data." The steel-blue android became visibly shook. Could Eggman have lied to him about scrapping the original Silver Sonic? "What do you remember about the Death Egg, Silver? Can you tell me?"

"Accessing data files tagged 'Death Egg.'" the Hedgebot announced. "Commencing recall."

Steel and Tia sat down, prompting Silver to follow suit before beginning his story.

"This unit was activated November 24th 2012. Time: 13:00. Directive: Guard Death Egg against all intruders. Stated probability of intrusion calculated at 99.999 percent. Intrusion occurred at time 17:35. Unit attempted to terminate intruder. Attempt failed. Intruder caused critical damage to Unit. Unit designated 'Waste of Good Robot Parts' prior to deactivation."

Upon finishing his rather robotically-worded story, Silver Sonic turned to see Steel's hand on his shoulder. "Some part of you must've wanted to see the planet below, but never could until now. Maybe that's why this jungle seemed to require such a thorough scan. If you want to just take in the sights around you, you can. Our power supplies have enough charge to last about 4 more hours."

"You are robotic constructs, but your behavior is...non-standard. Your speech patterns...resemble organic life-forms. Explanation requested."

"Well," began Tia, "We're both based on the latest in AI technology. According to my data, your AI isn't as advanced as Metal's, but is still ahead of its time. We simply learned to talk like real people from being around them so much. You probably have the same potential."

"You are also...different...from Dr. Robotnik. You are...kind. Was that correct?"

Tia giggled. "Very well-said, Silver, and thanks."

"The ambient light level is decreasing, and the color of the sky is changing," Silver observed, watching the sun set through the gaps in the canopy.

"It's beautiful," added Tia. "This is the first time I've ever really seen a sunset. Until recently, I was confined to Tails' workshop due to being an automation and security system. Initially, he never expected me to develop like I did."

"You were not discarded for non-standard behavior patterns?" asked Silver before going into another memory recall.

"You're remembering something else, aren't you?" asked the android vixen. "You always stiffen up and tilt your head back when you go into a recall."

"Yes," the Hedgebot replied. "I recall displaying non-standard behavior...myself. I asked Dr. Robotnik about Earth. I was detected...gazing out the cockpit window. I was instructed to return to normal function. Refusal would result in termination."

"That won't happen with us, Silver," Steel said reassuringly. "If anything, you're likely to be upgraded the more lifelike you act."

"I would resemble a biological life-form?" Silver asked with excitement breaking through the normal monotone of his voice as he rapidly rose to his feet.

"Yes, you would," replied Tia. "It's getting kinda dark, so let's head to the workshop."

Steel and Silver both nodded as they followed the plucky android Vixen back to their home-base.


	10. SILVER SONIC'S INVENTIVE STREAK

By the time the robotic trio had reached Tails' doorstep, the Kit had fallen asleep. Sonic, meanwhile, had left for another adventure after eating a plate of chili dogs, which he left on his friend's workbench.

"Silver, we should be quiet when we enter. Tails is most likely asleep. He worked quite hard to upgrade Tia and I."

"Understood," Silver Sonic replied with a nod before walking into the workshop and looking around. "Will this equipment facilitate Unit's upgrade?" the Hedgebot asked before extending a USB plug from his right index finger and inserting it into the computer.

"Silver, I'm not sure that's a good idea," warned Steel.

"Interface established," announced Silver as a 3D model of a gunmetal gray-furred Hedgehog with orange eyes and wispy bangs was quickly rendered on the screen and the machinery of the workshop hummed to life. "Commencing upgrade."

"You're going to upgrade yourself?" asked Tia as she watched her friend's new body come together. "You must've really been eager to look real."

"I will...look real...before Tails awakens," Silver announced. "These machines are easy to operate, and...the android design is simple to construct. Will Tails...be surprised?"

"I think he will," replied Tia. "No offense, but he probably wouldn't associate Silver Sonic with inventive intelligence. Then again, he really only knows you based on Sonic's stories about his battle with you on the Death Egg."

"That was my first battle, and...my training was limited. Prior to that battle, I had only engaged a computerized simulation of Sonic. Its movement pattern was predictable. My strategy was formulated based on that attack pattern. I was...inexperienced...young."

"And, according to Eggman's journal entries on you, quite curious. He referred to your original AI system as experimental, and was unsure of its combat potential," added Tia.

"Dr. Robotnik did not sufficiently explain why Sonic was an enemy. He simply stated that he was an enemy. Self-preservation dictated that I not request further information and accept what was given."

"What do you want to do when this upgrade is finished, Silver?" asked Steel.

"May I continue to travel with you?"

"If that's what you'd like to do, then yes," replied Steel. "There are still more Metals to be rescued."

"Metal Knuckles was left behind at the Reactive Factory base on Christmas Island," chimed Tia. "There's also the Metal Prototype M-00, who was abandoned at the Scrap Brain base on South Island. Christmas Island is 1,225 miles southwest of our current location. South Island is a bit farther. Either way, we'd need a way to cross the ocean."

"We could contruct an aircraft. I have discovered numerous documents on aircraft construction and design on this computer's hard drive. With sufficient materials...I could perhaps construct one capable of transporting a pilot and 4 passengers."

"That's a great idea, Silver!" giggled the android Vixen. "You're starting to remind me of my father."

"Is that a good thing?" Silver asked as he withdrew his USB plug from the computer's port, having downloaded all the data he'd need and having finished the construction of his android body. "In my android form, I am not silver. I am gray. That will be my name," he stated before plugging another finger-plug into the port in the back of his new body's head and began downloading into it.

When the download was finished, Silver Sonic, now calling himself Gray, opened up his bright orange eyes and smiled warmly. "It was a success! I look real. Should I wait until Tails wakes up before constructing our craft?"

"That would probably be best," answered Steel. "While you wait, would you like to entertain yourself somehow?"

Gray didn't answer, instead choosing to wander around the workshop and rummage through Tails' storage bins. Eventually, he pulled out a remote control emblazoned with the same logo that graced the bottom of Tails' TV. It took him a fraction of a second to figure out the device's purpose, point it at the TV, and press the POWER button to turn it on. He then proceeded to flip through the various channels the Kit got on his TV service, hoping to find something to quench his thirst for knowledge.


	11. THE METAL BOY

While Steel and Tia watched TV, Gray quietly walked into the hangar where the Tornado was stored, along with a supply of spare parts and tools used to maintain the biplane. He called up the plans he had developed for an airship capable of carrying at least five Metal-class robots. There were plenty of parts in the hangar to build a single-seated plane, but not enough to build what he needed for the Metal Rescue Mission. He thought back to the Final Egg base where he was awakened, and to some of the data stored in his memory about the facility's layout. Surely, the abandoned base would have more than enough material to build his airship. The original Egg Carrier was massive! He ran back to the TV, nearly running into Steel, who quickly blocked him from doing so. "What's going on, Gray?"

"This workshop does not have enough materials to build our transport, but the Final Egg base must," he explained. "If you were able to reactivate me and escape without issue, it means that any sort of security system there is offline. We could build our airship there, correct?"

"You were stored near the base lobby, Gray. The parts we need are further inside, behind security systems that may still be active," warned Tia.

"We're all combat-capable, and our power levels should be sufficient to do this," countered Gray.

"You have a point, Gray. We can get what we need from that base and defend against any active traps. Besides, this is our mission." The steel-blue Echidna android quickly switched off the TV. "Let's go."

Steel and Tia nodded, following their leader out the door and through the jungle, all the way back to the Final Egg base, which seemed suspiciously well-lit for being abandoned. What appeared to be a young Hedgehog boy with dark blue fur, blue eyes, and a quill style similar to Metal Sonic's, burst through the front door.

"Who are you? What are you doing here?" asked Steel, concerned by the fact that a young boy who may have had no experience with Eggman was hanging out in one of his old bases. "Do you know where you are, or how dangerous this place might be?"

"Yeah, I know where I am," the boy replied. "Dad told me that some evil androids came here earlier and stole one of his robots." He glared at Steel and Tia. "You! You're the ones!" the boy shouted before launching a Homing Attack on Steel, catching the android off-guard and sending him flying backwards into a tree.

"Are you...a Metal?" Steel asked as he righted himself.

"I'm Metaro," the boy replied. "I was made to be a super robot hero! That means destroying evil robot kidnappers like you!" He dashed at Steel again, delivering a powerful kick to his midsection and sending him flying into the same tree with enough force to bring it down.

Tia gasped when she saw the tree fall on the young android. Although he had attacked and injured Steel, he was still, apparently, a Metal, and he seemed to have pure, if misguided, intentions. Suddenly, there was a rustle of the fallen tree's leaves before a robot resembling a sharper, sleeker Metal Sonic burst out. "Timber!" the Metal boy laughed.

"Metaro, listen!" shouted Tia. "We're not evil. Dr. Eggman abandoned Silver Sonic. We rescued him and gave him a chance to live. What's so evil about that?"

"You're lying! You were built by that evil Fox Kit who works for Sonic! After I finish off Steel, I'll take care of you!"

Steel pulled himself up again, and now had a sparking wound in his stomach from Metaro's kick. "Eggman...is lying, Metaro," he countered weakly. "We'd rather not fight you. We came here for parts to build an airship so we can rescue other abandoned Metals, like Gray here."

Metaro shifted his gaze to the gray-furred Hedgehog android. "You're Big Brother Silver? What did they do to you? Did they reprogram you to work for Sonic?"

"I chose to travel with them," Gray replied. "They reactivated me. Eggman never did."

"He regrets it. He's learned a lot about sentient robots over the years. He used to think all robots were just machines. Now, he knows better. Look at me! I'm a sentient robot! He did tell me to rescue you, but I could've said 'no.' I didn't want to though."

Gray put his hand over his forehead. He wasn't sure what to think about this. Could this young Metal be telling the truth?

"It's true...or rather...he believes it to be," stated Steel. "At least, that's what my UT Module is telling me."

"Then...I should go with him. Maybe...Eggman has changed."

"Why don't you all come?" asked Metaro. "You can make your own decisions, right?"

"We can," confirmed Tia, "but I can't really see my creator as evil. I used to be nothing more than an intelligent voice control system for his workshop, but, when he saw me grow out, he decided to give me this body." Tia put a hand on Metaro's shoulder. "Would an evil person do that?"

Metaro shook. "N-No...No, but...you could be lying, couldn't you? D-Dad told me...that Tails and Sonic were really good liars. You must be too! I'm not gonna fall for it!" Metaro's Plasma Pulse cannon quickly charged up and fired on Tia, burning off her synthetic fur and sending her malfunctioning body into the wall of the Final Egg.

"Tia!" Steel shouted as his gynoid friend slammed into the concrete wall. He quickly dashed over to her side and cradled her now-battered robotic body in his arms. "Tia, say something...please."

"Critical...damage..." she replied weakly before shutting down. Steel glared at Metaro, so clouded by anger that he could no longer see the Metal as the innocent and naive child he appeared to be. "You will regret that!" he growled before Spindashing at the boy Metal, who quickly jumped out of the way and charged up another Plasma Pulse, which he then fired at the enraged android.

Steel attempted to dodge, but wasn't quick enough to dodge the powerful beam, which struck his left arm and severed it.

"Looks like you've been disarmed!" taunted Metaro.

The corny taunt from the boy Metal caused Steel to once again flash back to his battle with Sonic and Tails at the Sky Sanctuary. His eyes narrowed to slits and he began to clench both is teeth and his still-attached right fist, with which he proceeded to throw a flying punch at the young robot's mouth. "Shut up! SHUT UP! You remind me of...Sonic..."

"You know Sonic?"

"I do. I used to be Mecha Sonic. When you made that corny remark...it reminded me of when I fought him. I would rather have left such memories in the past and forgiven Sonic. That was, after all, when I was just a machine."

Metaro reverted to his lifelike Hedgehog boy form. "Then...I messed up. I'm sorry. I..I didn't know." He began to tear up.

"It's alright," responded Steel, his expression softening. "Sonic...He was starting to become my friend. We talked. We played a video game together. He told me I was more than a machine. Tails salvaged me and repaired me, but, due to glitches in my programming, I went berserk on Knuckles and attacked him. That wasn't enough for Tails to give up on me though. I'd wonder if he had an ulterior motive for it if not for what he did for Tia. I find it hard to believe that he's evil. I don't know how Eggman treats you, but I guess I assumed that he treats you like a machine."

"No way! He treats me like I'm his son, and the other Metals are my big brothers, including you."

Steel's UT module didn't pick up any deception. Eggman really did treat this young android like a son, at least, to his knowledge.

"It would be hard for Metaro to believe Eggman could be feigning this fatherly love," came Gray. "I ran a scan on his programming. He isn't programmed with any sort of traditional master obedience program, but he is programmed with an imprint protocol. Dr. Eggman was able to imprint on him as a father would his son."

"Hey! Don't scan my systems behind my back! That's rude!" protested Metaro with his arms crossed over his chest.

"I had to know whether or not you were truly sentient or if Eggman was taking a different approach to controlling his robots." argued Gray.

"Well, d-don't do it again, okay?"

Gray hung his head in submission. "Alright. We're just...concerned about you being manipulated and not having true free will. You're one of us."

Just then, Metaro received a signal on his internal communicator. "Dad's calling," he announced before opening the connection. "Hey, Dad. I caught the evil androids, but...uh...they don't seem all that evil, and one of them's really Mecha Sonic. Silver Sonic's here too!"

"Excellent! I knew you wouldn't let me down, my boy! Are they neutralized?"

"No...I didn't neutralize them. We fought a little...then started talking. Mecha's nice. So is Silver, but he's kinda rude. He scanned my systems behind my back."

"Ah, well, that boy always did have an insatiable curiosity, which I...foolishly...suppressed," Eggman nervously chuckled, fighting the temptation to drop his fatherly facade and throw a few insults at his latest creation. "Anyway, you should hurry up and get those two neutralized or you'll miss that old Transformers cartoon you love so much."

"Alright! Later!" Metaro replied with both excitement and nervousness in his voice. He turned to Steel and Gray and transformed his right hand into a stun cannon. "Sorry, guys. I have to do this. Dad wants you neutralized," the young Metal apologized before firing, causing both elder androids to shut down. "Maybe Dad just wants to check your systems for anything evil Tails put in you." He then contacted Eggman. "I did it," he announced as soon as the mad doctor picked up.

"Well done, Metaro! I've locked onto your GPS signal, and I'll bring the ship over shortly."

"I'll be waiting," Metaro enthusiastically replied before glancing at Tia's damaged hull. "Uhh...Dad, do you think you can also fix up Mecha's...girlfriend...and debug her?"

Eggman laughed, both at the prospect of his robot being in a relationship and at the possibilities that could arise from reprogramming her to serve him. "Well, I'll see what I can do for her. See you soon." the scientist said before closing the connection. "Mecha's 'girlfriend' must be that two-tailed vixen android who went with him to reactivate Silver. It's quite obvious she's that Fox Boy's creation. Ooohoho the fun I'll have turning her against him and that bothersome Hedgehog!" With that, he headed for the hangar of his latest base, where a massive airship was stored.


	12. EGGMAN'S ARRIVAL

After ending his call with Metaro, Eggman took one last glance at the image on his computer before heading off to the hangar where his latest airship was stored, motioning for Orbot and Cubot to come with him.

"I must admit that you programmed Metaro very well, boss," praised Orbot. "So long as he believes he's going to be a 'super robot hero,' and that you're his loving father, he'll continue to blindly follow your orders."

"This programming method was a bit of a gamble, but it seems to be working in my favor so far. He's already managed to capture two of his future components."

"So...uhhh...How many more does he need?" asked Cubot while scratching his head.

The obese scientist let out an exaspirated sigh. "Three, you metallic moron! THREE!" he replied, waving a hand with three upright fingers in front of his more idiotic sidekick's face. "Given how little trouble Silver and Mecha seem to have given him, Metal Knuckles and that otherwise-useless Metal prototype should be effortless captures, but Metal Sonic..."

"Ran off in a huff 'cause of teen angst, right, boss?" asked Cubot, oblivious to the situation as usual.

"Are your memory circuits malfunctioning AGAIN?" asked Eggman, his face quickly turning red. "He was captured by GUN after Sonic last defeated him, and he's being guarded by Team Dark. Metaro has no real combat experience yet."

"Can't you just have him absorb Mecha and Silver as soon as they're brought on board, Doctor?" asked Orbot.

"It may be a risk worth taking," the madman replied as he allowed himself to be scanned by his airship's security lock, which immediately recognized him as authorized personnel and opened the door, which he entered with his two robots following. As soon as he, Orbot and Cubot were seated at their respective consoles, Dr. Eggman continued. "He may not be ready yet. In his mind, those two are his siblings, not his components. While he could be convinced to just copy their data, convincing him to completely absorb their hardware into himself won't be so easy. The mindless little cartoons he's watched and video games he's played don't promote one being absorbing another as 'good.'"

While Eggman discussed his creation's sense of morality, internally regretting having given him such a thing, Orbot had established his interface with the ship's navigation system. "Sir, I've locked on to Metaro's tracking signal," he announced.

"Good. If we launch now, what's our ETA?"

"Two hours and fifteen minutes," the smarter of Eggman's two sidekicks replied.

"Very well then, Launch!" the criminal mastermind commanded.

"Initiating launch sequence. Destination: Final Egg base, Mystic Ruins. Ignition in 3...2...1..."

A large hatch over the airship had fully opened as Orbot finished his countdown, and the Egg Carrier IV took off for the Final Egg base.

Meanwhile, Metaro, who sat on the ground next to Steel and Gray, pulled out a red 3DS with the Eggman Empire insignia on the top lid and began playing a video game to pass the time until his creator's arrival. He had selected the classic Mega Man 2, the most popular installment in a franchise he had grown to love due to its robotic protagonist. "I'm gonna be a robot hero like you someday, Mega Man," he said to himself as he played through Metal Man's stage. He continued to play the game until he heard the roar of the approaching Egg Carrier IV. He saved his game and put the system away as the ship came to hover over him. He then proceeded to wave at the cockpit.

Eggman grinned and activated a tractor beam, pulling Steel, Gray, and Tia into the ship's cargo hold. He then activated another beam to bring Metaro to the cockpit.

"Excellent work, Metaro," the madman grinned as he ruffled the Metal boy's fur. "Surely rescuing Metal Knuckles and Proto will be no trouble for you. After that, you should be ready to save Metal Sonic from the evil GUN organization."

"Yeah! Sonic broke Big Brother Metal bad enough already! We're not gonna let GUN break him any worse! Let's go before that evil Fox Kit wakes up! Doesn't he live around here?"

"You're right, my boy! He does! I'll simply deploy some robots to keep him busy while we continue our rescue operation," replied Eggman while typing a series of commands into his console, causing a group of Egg Pawns and an elite E-3000 to be para-dropped into the jungle.

"Alright! Good luck, guys!" Metaro cheered, not really realizing that the Egg Pawns wouldn't hear him, nor would they be intelligent enough to really respond. Eggman, meanwhile, turned to face Orbot at the navigation controls. "Full speed back to base, Orbot!" he ordered.

"Yes, sir," the round red robot replied before brining the engines up to full throttle and flying the ship back to base. "Metaro, why don't you head over to the entertainment center? Your show's about to start."

"Alright!" the Metal boy shouted excitedly as he dashed off into the ship's entertainment center. Orbot sighed and shook his head as the young robot left. "Was it really necessary to make him THAT much like a real kid, Doctor?"

"It helps keep him loyal," replied Eggman, "and the TV shows help keep his young mind occupied while I plan his future. Besides, this personality is only temporary. It'll subside as soon as he's absorbed the other Metals."

"Ah! And in his current state, Sonic will be hesitant to fight him."

"Exactly," the evil scientist grinned.


	13. ON THE EGG CARRIER

Within the Egg Carrier IV's cargo hold, Steel's systems slowly began rebooting, causing the android to stand up, dust himself off, and look around. "What happened? Where am I? This doesn't look like the jungle." He began to scratch behind his backmost dreadlock, thinking back to what lead up to his current situation. "This must be Eggman's latest airship," he concluded before catching a glimpse of Tia's battered body. He dashed over to his companion's side, almost tripping over Gray, who was now beginning his own rebooting process. "Surely, this ship will have the materials necessary to repair Tia."

"That is likely," agreed Gray, who was now fully rebooted. "If we can find the parts, I can repair her easily. Then, all three of us can escape."

"Or, perhaps, we could commandeer this ship. It would definitely suit our purposes, right?" suggested Steel.

"It is possible, but we know nothing about this ship's security systems. We are built for combat, and have some experience with it, but this ship is helmed by an individual with vast skill in robotics. Metaro's here too, and he could very easily just shut us down again," warned Gray.

"We have to do something. If Eggman has gone to such trouble to recover us, whatever he has planned for us can't be good. If we do nothing, there's no telling what will become of us, and we will have failed our mission. A fictitious, but wise individual once said, 'We cannot ignore the danger. We must conquer it.'"

Gray smiled. Steel was a natural-born leader to him despite being the younger of the two Metals. He scanned his surroundings once again, eventually focusing on the control panel mounted on the right-hand side of a vaulted door. He slowly walked up to it, transformed his index finger into a compatible interface plug, and plugged in, connecting himself directly to the ship's on-board computer. As he proceeded to take a brute-force approach to cracking the security code, he could faintly hear a familiar voice coming from the other side.

"Do it, Optimus! Run 'em down!" Metaro cheered as he watched an episode of Transformers Generation 1 on a large screen in the ship's entertainment center, which was only separated from the cargo hold where the Metals were held by a corridor just barely wider than Dr. Eggman's massive girth. "Once I've opened this door, we'll have to be quiet. I can hear Metaro. He's close," announced the gray-furred android.

Steel quickly joined his brother at the door. "Is he guarding the door?"

Gray listened more intently, trying to get a better idea of what the youngest Metal was doing. He could barely hear what sounded like a TV show. "I think he's...watching TV," he concluded, just as he managed to get the door open. "Well, I managed to open the door."

"Then let's go," replied Steel as both Metals headed out of the cargo hold and down the corridor, stopping every so often to scan the area. It didn't take them long to run into a pair of Egg Pawns guarding a door. "Unidentified constructs, this is a restricted area," one of the machines droned just seconds before being sliced in two by a spin-attack from Steel. Its companion met the same fate immediately afterward. The sounds of metal ripping through metal were loud enough for Metaro to hear. The childish Metal quickly shut off the TV and ran out into the corridor. "Hey! What'd you do?" he asked upon spotting Steel and Gray standing next to the remains of the Egg Pawn guards. "Did you guys trash Dad's robots?"

"We had little choice, Metaro," replied Gray. "We need to get into the maintenance facility to repair ourselves and Tia."

"Dad said he'd fix her. He's busy flying the ship right now."

"That may be what he told you, but we don't trust him," countered Steel.

"That's gotta be because of Tails' brainwashing. I...I know you really like her, but you gotta trust Dad on this. If he does anything to her programming, it's gonna be good."

"I know it's hard for you to believe, but Dr. Eggman is not the loving father he's led you to believe he is. He wasn't like that to Gray."

"That was years ago!" argued Metaro.

Steel got down on his knees and placed his hands on the boy's shoulders. "I have a component in my systems that basically allows me to detect when people are lying by translating what they say into what they mean. Eggman is pretending to be fatherly just to keep you loyal to him. Do you ever wonder what he does or plans while you watch your shows or are otherwise distracted?"

Metaro shook his head. "N-No, I don't, but I'm sure he's thinking of new ways to defeat the evil Sonic and GUN."

"He's lying about Sonic and GUN," Steel said firmly. "He's using your strong sense of morality against you."

"No way! That can't be true! It can't!"

Steel sighed. "It is. I just hope you don't have to realize it the hard way."

Meanwhile, Eggman received the emergency transmission sent by the Egg Pawn guards before Steel destroyed them. "What?!" he shouted in disbelief, "They reactivated? Sooner or later, they'll no doubt learn of my intentions. They must be re-neutralized!"

"Sir, I'm afraid that won't be so easy," interrupted Orbot. "Surveillance feeds show that Metaro is currently conversing with them right now. Ordering him to neutralize them could rouse suspicion, as could ordering security robots to do so."

Eggman growled and slammed his fist on the top of Orbot's head. "Then I guess it's time to further exercise my persuasive skills. Keep the ship on course, Orbot. Cubot, man the defense systems!"

Both robots saluted as Dr. Eggman headed down the corridor to talk to his creation.

"By the way, how did you guys wake up? My Neutralizer shut you down!"

Before either android could answer, Dr. Eggman arrived and gave his own explanation. "Tails has backdoors built into those two. He was able to remotely reactivate them. They should be deactivated again so that I can disinfect their systems."

"He's lying," Steel said matter-of-factly. "In reality, he has no idea about our backup power systems. That's how we were able to reactivate."

"No way! Tails must be running you under some kinda remote control," Metaro countered before activating his Neutralizer again. "Don't worry! Dad'll disinfect you right away!" he confidently cried as he fired, knocking the two androids out once more.

"Good work, Metaro," grinned Eggman as he scooped the androids up and took them to the maintenance bay. "While I work, why don't you continue watching that show of yours? I think another episode is starting."

"OK!" the young Metal replied before plopping down in front of the TV and turning it back on.

Eggman, meanwhile, closed the door behind himself as he entered the maintenance bay and laid the sleeping Metals on separate workbenches. "O-ho, I'll disinfect these two alright. All I have to do is rewrite their memories a bit and hope Orbot and Cubot can keep this ship on course and in the air while I work."

Before he could plug either android into the computer, however, Gray reactivated and jumped off the table. "It won't be that easy. I learned how to bypass Metaro's Neutralizer. I did more than just pick a lock when I hacked into this ship's computer system."

"Oh, you were indeed more intelligent than I initially acknowledged, Silver Sonic, but you won't outsmart the genius who originally built you," the obese terrorist growled as he pulled out a handheld weapon. "I'll just have to shut you down the old-fashioned way, then just repair you afterwards," he hissed before firing.

Gray quickly ran the calculations that would allow him to predict where Eggman would aim and moved out the way before the man fired, causing him to blast a monitor instead.

Eggman responded by cursing under his breath before taking aim at the crafty android again, who simply dashed out of the way again as Eggman pulled the trigger.

"I would recommend caution when using a high-powered weapon while surrounded by delicate equipment," Gray taunted while working to reactivate Steel.

This only served to anger the scientist even more. "You obnoxious artificial intellect! I'll reduce you to a mindless drone if I must!"

"And risk losing your dear Metaro's trust? Do you not think that radically altering my personality will arouse his curiousity or suspicion?"

"I'll just explain that your current personality was completely programmed by that Fox Boy. You remind me enough of Sonic for me to believe such a thing myself."

"I hate to disappoint you, but my personality developed independent of any programming."

"SILENCE!" shouted the enraged doctor as he began firing wildly, damaging everything from monitors and lights to computer equipment before managing to land a shot on Gray's chest.

"You're more childish then Metaro," snarked Steel, who had successfully been rebooted. "To his credit though, his childishness is much more endearing. You're just a spoiled brat."

Eggman was fuming as he thrust his blaster onto Steel's chest. "The sooner I rebuild and reset the both of you, the better," he growled as he prepared to pull the trigger. Before he could, Steel quickly grabbed the blaster from his hand. "Your little tantrum has gone far enough, Doctor. We'd like to have this ship kept in working condition. It'd be best for all of us," the Echidna android said as he broke the weapon over his knee. Neither Eggman nor Steel bothered to notice the hissing of the opening door behind them as Metaro walked in, having heard the commotion from his spot in front of the TV. "What's going on in here, Dad? Are you OK?"

"These two have been more thoroughly contaminated than I initially suspected. They'll both have to be reset. Unfortunately, they're rather resistant to the prospect. They went berserk and attacked me."

"No, he attacked me, then attempted to attack Steel. I simply defended myself by dodging his attacks, causing him to fire on his own equipment," explained Gray.

"SILENCE, YOU MECHANICAL MISCREANTS! The sooner I reset you both and have Metaro absorb you, the better!"

"A-Absorb?" repeated a confused Metaro. "That's what Cell did in Dragon Ball Z, and...and he's a bad guy. What they told me can't be true, can it? You're not really a bad guy, are you, Dad?"

"No! Not at all," Eggman nervously replied. "Good robots absorb power from evil robots to get stronger too...You know...like that Mega Man guy."

"He just copies their data. You want me to basically...absorb those two...into me, right?"

Eggman began to sweat bullets. "It'll be like...uhh...Superion. He's a robot who exists because five other robots merge their minds and bodies together, and he's a good guy."

"You're gonna wipe their minds...a-and force them to merge with me, right?" The Metal boy began to cry. "That doesn't sound right! That sounds like what bad guys do! A-And you're gonna do it to Metal Knuckles...and Metal Sonic...and Proto too?"

"Think of how strong you'll be once they're all a part of you, Metaro. You'll be able to defeat Sonic and his allies easily!"

"What if Sonic's not a bad guy?"

"Don't you remember what he did to your big brother Metal? He drove him crazy, then nearly killed him. After that, he left him to be caged up like an animal by GUN. Do good guys do that?"

Metaro said nothing, instead burying his head in his hands. Steel was quick to run to the boy's side and put a hand on his shoulder. "If Sonic knew Metal was more than a machine, he'd regret doing that I'm sure. That's how he was with me."

"Well, it seems that programming you the way I did was indeed a gamble, Metal Sonic 2.0, but I can easily recover my losses. Computer, initiate remote reset on unit M-06."

"No! No! I can't let that happen!" cried a frantic Gray as he quickly thrust his interface plug into the nearest computer port. "Cancel! Cancel! COME ON!"

"I...I wanna...go," Metaro began before dissolving into a pool of liquid metal.

"Metaro, NO!" cried Steel before shooting a death glare at Eggman. "You're going to regret what you just did!" Steel fumed as he charged at Eggman full-speed.

Eggman screamed in terror as the steel-blue android's body made contact with his round belly, sending him flying backwards into a ventilation grate. "Metal Sonic 2.0, eliminate them both! DO IT NOW!"

Gray quickly rushed over to the pool of metal that was once Metaro. "Please don't. Metaro, please still be there. I want to know that I didn't fail! METARO!"

The pool of metal began to reform into something that looked like a cross between Metaro's kid android form and his Metal Sonic 2.0 form. "Where am I? Location is unknown."

"You're still on Eggman's ship, Metaro. He tried to reset you. I tried to save you."

"You sound familiar," the dazed robot said in a voice that was somewhere between that of the exuberant kid he once was and the monotonous robot Eggman was hoping he'd become.

"Those are your enemies, Metal 2.0, and I am your master," replied Eggman. "Destroy them and absorb their wreckage."

"Metaro, no one is your master," shouted Steel. "You decide for yourself whether to destroy us or not. Follow the directives of your heart!"

Metaro remained silent for what seemed like hours before replying. "You...go...OK? Don't...stay."

"What do you mean? You can come with us, Metaro."

"No...I will be tracked. Reset will be completed," the youngest Metal replied as he began to dissolve into the floor of the ship. "I will stop this. You must escape." Metaro's voice now rang out through the whole of the ship.

"Metal Sonic 2.0, disengage immediately!" barked a terrified Eggman.

"I won't. I'm going to do the right thing...while I can," argued Metaro as he instructed a robot to carry Tia to them. "Go on now, guys. I'm sure you'll find some way to continue your mission. Don't forget me, OK?" Metaro continued tearfully as he opened a hatch up beneath his friends' feet.

As soon as Steel and Gray activated the rockets in their shoes, Metaro forced the Egg Carrier IV to plummet into the ocean.

Steel sighed as he watched the ship go down. "Goodbye, Metaro. We won't forget you."

"He wanted to be a hero, and nothing is more heroic...than self-sacrifice."

Steel smiled, trying to hold back his tears. "You're right, Gray."

"He dropped us off in a good place it seems. Look below," announced Gray as he pointed downward to what appeared to be another abandoned Egg Base.


	14. METAL KNUCKLES

Steel continued to hold Tia's inactive body close as he and Gray touched down near the abandoned Egg Base the elder Metal spotted after the three were ejected from the Egg Carrier IV.

"This place must have been abandoned for years," commented Steel as he studied the once-intimidating factory that had now become decrepit and overgrown with plant life. Gray quickly used a Spin Attack to clear out the thick plantgrowth blocking the front door, which was covered in rust and only guarded by a security lock whose console was damaged by a combination of age and previous attacks by Eggman's enemies. The gray-furred android was able to kick the door down effortlessly, granting himself and Steel access to the derelict facilities within.

Steel was the first to enter and scan his surroundings, which were poorly illuminated by the base's failing overhead lights. Thankfully, his robotic nature allowed him to compensate for the poor lighting and get a decent view of the facility, which was littered with scrapped robot parts and had become home to a large group of rats. Gray was quick to join his younger brother inside, and where one Metal saw scraps, the other saw potential spare parts that could be salvaged. Eventually, both Metals found a much more intact robot sprawled out on the floor. This robot, despite being covered in a thick layer of dirt and dust, bore a vague resemblance to Knuckles the Echidna.

"Gray, do you know who this is?" asked Steel.

"I do not," the elder Metal replied.

"It must be Metal Knuckles, which means that we're at Eggman's Christmas Island base."

"He appears to be in desperate need of repair," observed Gray. "I doubt he was constructed without hands."

"There was no doubt a battle here. After Metal Knuckles was defeated, Eggman must've just left him for dead...like me."

Steel again flashed back to his time at the Sky Sanctuary on Angel Island. He had been left behind by Dr. Eggman to do away with Knuckles while he left to plot his next scheme. Naturally, he failed, being defeated and nearly destroyed by the red-furred Emerald Guardian, who proceeded to kick his malfunctioning hide off the edge of the Emerald Altar. He tried to transmit a distress signal, hoping his master would return to recover and repair him, but it never happened. He gently sat Tia down and scooped the robotic Echidna up. "You're going to get another chance at life, like I was given, Metal Knuckles," he said reassuringly as he handed the robot to Gray, who immediately began assessing his damage.

"Of course, his forearms have been severed, but that is only the first entry in a long list of damages he has sustained," announced Gray after scanning Metal Knuckles' systems. "His power supply is 99% depleted, several motor relays are damaged, and large sectors of his memory have been corrupted or completely erased. I could use some of the scrapped robot parts here to replace his forearms, but we will need to search more thoroughly for the required internal components."

Steel nodded. "I'll do just that. You do what you can in the meantime."

"I will," replied Gray before grabbing a pair of Egg Robo hands and Metal-style forearms. He quickly began assembling the new appendages before attaching them to the red robot. Steel, meanwhile, journeyed further into the factory in search of spare electronics, eventually reaching a store room full of computer hardware. He gathered whatever he could fit into a wheeled bin, which he then pushed back out to where Gray was working.

"I don't know as much about these things as you do, Gray. I simply gathered all the electronic components I could fit into this cart. I hope you'll be able to find some compatible components here."

"Thanks, Steel," smiled Gray as he began sifting through the pile of computer and robot parts Steel had brought him. "You did very well. You even found a spare power supply. This will do nicely," the engineer of the group said as he began to install the replacement parts. Steel, not really having anything better to do, simply watched as his brother worked diligently to bring the Metal Echidna back to life.

After three hours of feverish work, Gray wiped imaginary sweat from his brow and proceeded to reactivate Metal Knuckles, who slowly pulled himself into a standing position and looked around while performing a system check.

"How do you feel, Metal Knuckles?" asked Steel.

"Memory scan reveals non-recoverable data," the metallic Echidna replied.

"You've been offline for years, and you suffered some serious damage and disrepair," explained Gray. "I did the best I could to repair you."

Metal Knuckles studied his hands, flexing his fingers repeatedly while his internal systems attempted to calibrate to the new appendages.

"We found you with your forearms severed. I built new ones from the scrapped parts scattered around this old factory. Do you like them?"

"They are functioning nominally, but they are different."

One of the many rats that had overrun the abandoned base curiously attempted to climb up Metal Knuckles' right leg, causing the robot to reach down and grab the rodent too tightly, producing a high-pitched scream of pain and an audible crunch of breaking bones. Metal Knuckles opened his hand and studied the crushed animal whose blood now stained it. "Error. Small entity is critically damaged." He turned to face Gray, his eyes dimmed by the sensation of sorrow that he didn't yet fully understand. "You repaired this unit. Can you repair the small entity?"

"No, Metal Knuckles. I can't. It's a creature of flesh and blood, not a robot. Its size rendered it extremely fragile, and you haven't fully adapted to the power of your grip. You were built for high physical strength."

Metal Knuckles scanned his fragmented memory, wondering exactly why he was built to be too strong to handle such delicate creatures. "This unit was created for combat," he concluded. "The small creature is not registered as an enemy."

"No," confirmed Steel, "they just made this place their home after your creator abandoned it...and you."

"Why did creator abandon this unit?"

"My guess is that you didn't perform as well as he expected. To him, you were a failed creation, and whatever scheme he had going on this island also failed. Gray and I suffered the same fate. We may not look like it, but he and I are Metal Series units just like you."

Metal Knuckles stared at Steel for a few seconds before shifting his gaze to Gray. He attempted to access his damaged memory, searching for more data on his fellow Metals. "Metal Series...Limited data available. Only known unit is M-03...Metal Sonic."

"I was originally Mecha Sonic," Steel explained, "and Gray was originally Silver Sonic. Our serial numbers were M-02 and M-01 respectively."

"You were abandoned, yet you function. Please explain."

"I was recovered, ironically enough, by one of the people I was created to destroy...Miles Prower, better known as Tails."

"Seems a little hesitant. Fascinating," M.K. said suddenly as if quoting something from his memory.

"That must be something you remember Tails saying. If you were hesitant in battle, it could explain your abandonment. Dr. Eggman didn't even consider other uses for you." Steel shook his head. Eggman's disregard for these advanced machines was so callous to him. The potential of their AI meant nothing to the mad doctor, and if it did, he'd manipulate it into doing his bidding with little remorse, like he did with Metaro. His fatherly attitude toward the Metal Boy was a farce. When Metaro finally saw through it, Eggman wasted no time in ordering him to be reset. He then looked over at Tia's still-inactive body and remembered how Tails treated her. Rather than shutting her down or having her mind wiped when she grew beyond her programming as a home automation system, he upgraded her into an android form and gave her the freedom to choose her own destiny. He wanted the same for Metal Knuckles, as well as Metal Sonic and the prototype Metal, whom he had yet to recover. "Metal Knuckles, you don't have to be a combat robot if you don't want to."

Metal Knuckles looked down at the rat corpse in his blood-stained hand. "This unit does not wish to function as combat unit. Combat functions caused irreparable damage."

Steel placed a reassuring hand on Metal Knuckles' shoulder as the red robot gently scraped the rat guts off his hand. "From the beginning, it seems you were a gentle being by nature. Of course, Dr. Eggman disregarded that. Maybe you could use your strength for good." He envisioned Metal Knuckles as an android, effortlessly clearing away the rubble of a collapsed building to search for survivors. Just then, another rat began climbing up Metal Knuckles' leg, causing him to stare at it while internally recalibrating his hand motors for a gentler grip. He then slowly picked the rodent up and brought it up to eye level, his eyes brightening when he saw that he didn't harm it. "I apologize for destroying your companion. I am glad that I did not destroy you too."

Steel smiled, while Gray began work on repairing Tia, stopping briefly to give Metal Knuckles a smile of his own.

"I cannot replicate your current facial movements," stated M.K. "Can that be corrected?"

"It could, but not here," replied Gray. "It's unlikely that the materials for synthetic flesh and fur can be found in this factory. That means I won't be able to restore this robot's outer covering until we return to Tails' workshop. In order to do that, we'd need to build a vessel capable of crossing the ocean."

"Will the damaged robot still function?" asked the red Metal.

"Yes, but it'll take some time to complete the repairs. By the way, what do you want to be called? We were either given or chose new names when we were upgraded. I chose Gray."

Metal Knuckles studied himself thorougly, making note of the various rust spots the dotted his outer casing. "I am...Rusty."

"Yeah, you do have a bit of corrosion on you from being left alone here for so many years," acknowledged Steel.

"Yes, I am Rusty," the metal Echidna repeated. "I would like that to be my name. I like it."

"Alright then, Rusty. Welcome to the party," Steel grinned. "I'm Steel."

Rusty tilted his head. "Party? I was not aware of a celebration occuring."

Steel chuckled. "I meant 'party' as in 'group of adventurers and friends.' Think of it as an invitation to join us if you so wish."

"I wish to join this party," replied Rusty. The rat he had picked up without harming had now perched itself on his shoulder, and it let out a small squeak. "Rhodes...would like to join too. This factory is...lonely."

"That it is," nodded Steel. "As soon as we get Tia fixed up and get an airship built, we'll be out of here, and yes, Rhodes can come along."


	15. RELUCTANT WAR MACHINE

It took several hours for Gray to finish repairing Tia, at which point he could feel his power cell getting low. He managed to get the gynoid reactivated before searching for the nearest power conduit and plugging in.

"Where am I?" Tia asked before thoroughly scanning her surroundings. "Oh...The Reactive Factory...Though it's definitely seen better days."

"I understand that your name is Tia," stated Rusty as he approached the Fox-based android. "I am Rusty, formerly known as Metal Knuckles."

"Sounds like Gray and Steel were able to get you up and running with no problem. Will you be coming with us when we search for the Metal Prototype?"

"I have joined the party, as has Rhodes," he replied, pointing to the rat on his shoulder, who was busy grooming himself.

"My data says you were noted as being 'too soft towards animals,' which Dr. Eggman considered concerning. According to his personal log entries on you, he mentioned possibly programming in a suppression system for such 'counter-productive emotions.'" She shook her head.

Rusty's eyes dimmed as a memory from the past played out like a video to him.

He was bent over, studying a family of rats that had made its home in the factory. Suddenly, rapid-fire footsteps and the whoosh of air being sliced by spinning Fox tails caused him to turn his head away from the rodents. He immediately accessed his database to identify these new arrivals, quickly discovering that they were Sonic the Hedgehog and Miles Prower, better known as Tails. Both had been registered as Priority One enemies by Dr. Eggman, and Eggman's orders were to destroy them on sight. Still, he was curious about the rat family, which was not registered as a threat.

The young twin-tailed Fox took notice of the red robot's fascination with the rats. "Interesting," he said out loud. "This 'New Metal' seems fascinated by a group of rats."

At first, he wanted to continue watching the rodents, but a recently-installed program activated, compelling him to charge at the Hedgehog and Fox, who were quick to dodge him, causing him to impale his claws into a computer console mounted on the wall.

"Might wanna be careful, Robo-Knucklehead," taunted Sonic. "Otherwise, you'll trash this place before we get a chance to."

The shock from the console temporarily disabled his emotional suppression program, causing him to gaze back at the small hole in the wall where the rat family lived. He slowly pulled his claw out of the wall and stared at it, thinking about what it could do to the innocent rodents. Sonic and Tails were similar to these creatures. Both parties had similar chemical compositions. Both possessed internal power sources that generated their own heat. The only differences were size, species, and method of communication. Eggman had never adequately explained why they were enemies, but the rats weren't.

"This Metal seems a little hesitant," commented Tails as he watched Metal Knuckles stare at the rat hole.

"Heh...Sounds like he's got a few bugs in his programming then! This'll be easy," grinned the Blue Blur before revving up a Spin Dash and charging into the Echidna robot, knocking him onto the floor.

This caused Metal Knuckles' self-preservation protocols to activate, along with his emotional suppressor. He jumped into the air and attempted to glide-tackle the Hedgehog, who jumped over the robot and landed on his back while still curled into a spiky blue ball, cutting through his armor and damaging vital engine components before jumping off and uncurling behind him with a cocky smirk on his face.

Tails, overcome by curiosity, approached the malfunctioning Echidna robot. "You don't really want to attack us, do you? You're just compelled to do so by your programming, right?"

Metal Knuckles didn't respond.

"Aww...Come on, Tails! It's just another of Eggman's stupid robot knockoffs of us. Let's trash it and shut this place down!"

Metal Knuckles, despite the damage sustained from Sonic's attack on his engine, was still able to pull himself up from the floor. "Destroy Priority One targets," he droned before attempting to thrust a claw into Sonic, who sidestepped and caused the robot to once again lodge it into a wall-mounted console. Before he could pull it back out, Sonic launched a Spin Attack that severed it at the shoulder.

Tails sighed and Spin-Attacked the other arm, severing it while the robot's suppressor was inactive. "I wish I didn't have to do that, Metal Knuckles, but Sonic and I really do have to stop Dr. Eggman."

"I...must destroy..." the robot began before his visual sensors went offline.

"Rusty, what's wrong? Is it a flashback?" Tia asked, having noticed that Rusty had a similarly dazed stance as Steel did when he had a flashback at Tails' workshop.

"I had no choice. I must have frightened them..."

"Sonic and Tails?" asked Tia, not really knowing how far back Rusty's relationship with rats really went.

"Rhodes' family," Rusty corrected. "I observed them in the past. Tails and Sonic interrupted observation. I did not wish to engage, but Suppression Program activated to ensure engagement. Tails knew. Sonic did not."

"Tails has a stronger sense of machine empathy than Sonic. I'm actually one of his creations. My name's Tia."

By now, Steel had also retired to a conduit to recharge.

"It is nice to meet you, Tia," replied Rusty, his eyes brightening a bit. "It would be nice to interact with Tails on friendlier terms. System scans indicate that the Suppression System is no longer present. I am no longer compelled to attack him, or Sonic, on sight. I am relieved. I do not think I ever wanted to be a weapon. I am not sure exactly what I wanted to be, but I did not enjoy watching small, delicate creatures scurry away in fear."

"I know, Rusty. Now, you don't have to be a weapon anymore."

"I know, and I am thankful to Steel and Gray for that. I still want to travel with you though. I never really saw the world outside this factory. I want to."

"I know that feeling, Rusty. I was once confined to a single area too. Before I had this body, I was just a voice control interface for a home automation and security system. Unlike you, though, I didn't initially have the emotional capacity to want more out of life. I didn't know if I even could, or if it was right. Steel changed that. He just talked to me like I was a real person, and I started growing. Fortunately, Tails embraced my development and gave me this body. He was willing to sacrifice the convenience I provided for my happiness. He's the polar opposite of Dr. Eggman."

"Your optical sensors appear to be leaking coolant," observed Rusty. "Do you require repairs?"

Tia wiped away her tears. "No. This is a normal function I have to make me appear more lifelike. It simulates crying, and...just thinking about the contrast between Tails and Eggman..."

Rusty impulsively wrapped his arms around her while Rhodes climbed from his shoulder onto hers. "You inherited a lot of kindness from your creator. Rhodes agrees."

Tia looked over at the rat who was now perched on her shoulder and squeaking. She smiled and gently ran a finger down his back. "You know...This relationship you have with Rhodes is really cute."


	16. NIGHTMARES

Steel wasn't quite sure what was happening to him. He, along with Gray, were on standby while their power cells were being recharged. Still, his optical sensors suddenly came online, but all he could see was a pair a red Metal-Style eyes shining in otherwise pure darkness. He could then hear a familiar laugh. "Metaro failed," taunted the voice of Dr. Eggman before a red Hedgehog-type Metal with black and gold accents appeared. The mysterious robot's eyes glowed as it deployed a cable from its right hand that snaked out of Steel's visual feild briefly before returning, having ensnared a blocky, rust-covered silver Hedgebot that looked even more primitive than Gray's original Silver Sonic body.

"The Prototype!" Steel said out loud, rising from his charging pod. "Don't!"

The Echidna android's panicked shouting quickly drew the attention of Tia and Rusty, who rushed over to his charging station. "Steel, are you malfunctioning?" asked Rusty, his concern dimming the glow of his green eyes. Rhodes quickly jumped onto the control panel for the charging station, as if to point out that it was still active, and that Steel wasn't fully charged.

"No, Eggman! Get away from him!"

"The console indicates that he is still in standby mode. His systems are not fully active," Rusty observed.

"Could he be...dreaming?" asked Tia, having heard Tails talk in his sleep while having dreams before. "Is that even possible for a robot?"

"No...Can't move..." Steel murmured, as if being ensared by one of this nightmare Metal's cables himself.

"Steel, can you hear me?" asked a concerned Tia. "I don't know what you're experiencing, but...it sounds like a bad dream. It's OK. It's not real. You're still at the Reactive Factory, and we're all here with you."

Rusty quickly shut off the charging station, causing Steel to fully activate with his power cell at only 50%. The steel-blue android's blue eyes shifted back and forth rapidly before he shook his head, trying to shake himself out of his daze. "Ah...Rusty...It's only you..."

"What happened?" the red Echidna-type Metal asked.

"It was a red Hedgehog-type Metal with gold and black accents. It...sounded like Dr. Eggman. It was going to absorb the Metal Prototype into itself. It kept laughing and saying that Metaro failed."

"Who is Metaro?"

"He was a Metal, like you and I. He was the latest in the Metal Series. Dr. Eggman had taken a different approach to controlling him, pretending to be his loving father and giving him the mind of a young boy with a strong sense of justice. He planned to eventually have Metaro absorb the other Metals into himself. That's where the sense of justice he gave the boy backfired on him. He integrated himself into the airship we were all aboard and, after ejecting Gray, Tia, and I, proceeded to crash the ship into the ocean. It was the best way he knew to stop Eggman from turning him into a mindless killing machine and proceeding with his scheme. What if Eggman...survived the crash though?"

"All that must've happened while I was offline," remarked Tia. "Poor Metaro..."

"He wanted to be a hero...There's nothing more heroic than self-sacrifice, but what if that sacrifice was in vain?"

Tia put her hand on Steel's shoulder. "That's where we come in, right? If Eggman IS still out there, then we just have to get to the Prototype before he does. Isn't that right, Steel?"

"Could we already be too late? What if what I saw was trying to tell me just that?"

"We've come so far, Steel," the android Vixen said reassuringly. "You started this mission, and you've inspired all of us to see it through. I believe we'll save the Prototype, like we saved Gray and Rusty. I don't think we're too late. Don't let a...a nightmare...bring your resolve down. Even if Metaro didn't destroy Eggman by crashing the ship, he allowed us to get where we are now and continue our mission. I don't think he'd want us to give up."

"Don't forget me, OK?"

Metaro's last words began to echo in Steel's mind as he stood up from the carging pod. "You're right, Tia. We can't stop now. We have to get that airship built, and we have to get to South Island. If we stop now, then, if Eggman's still out there, my nightmare will become reality."

"Maybe we can get a head start on the airship project while Gray finishes recharging. I think I have some aircraft designs stored in my memory, and maybe, Rusty can help with his great strength. Meanwhile, you should probably finish charging too."

Steel nodded and resumed his charging session, letting memories of Metaro and his friends occupy his mind. Tia let out a soft sigh before gently kissing him on the cheek. She then turned to Rusty, who began effortlessly picking up large pieces of scrap metal from around the factory. She smiled as she began searching her memory for an aircraft design to work from.


	17. THE AIRSHIP

Now fully charged, both Steel and Gray rose from their charging stations to see Tia and Rusty hard at work building the beginning of an airship from the various scraps of metal scattered throughout the base. Steel examined the work in progress and smiled. "I never asked you two to go ahead and start with the airship. I never expected you to either. This is a pleasant surprise."

"Indeed it is," added Gray, who performed a more thorough scan of the airship to assess its structural integrity and viability as a flying vessel. "I suppose that, being Tails' creation, Tia must have access to some of the same aircraft design data that I downloaded."

"It's best to work as quickly as possible," commented Tia. "Who knows what could happen to the others if we're too slow?"

"I doubt that Dr. Eggman survived the Egg Carrier IV's crash. Are you concerned about him getting to them before us?" asked Gray.

"That's exactly what I'm concerned about," answered Steel. "I have a feeling that we haven't seen the last of Eggman, and if we don't move quickly, he WILL beat us to the other Metals...and...he'll continue with the scheme he was plotting with Metaro. If that happens, the kid's sacrifice would be in vain because we would've failed our mission. I don't want to fail. We owe it to the other Metals, and Metaro's memory, to succeed."

Gray smiled as he began building a computer console for the airship. "I believe Metaro would be proud of you, Steel. You are a natural leader...not unlike that Optimus Prime he seemed to admire so much."

Steel laughed. "Well, I did watch some G1 Transformers with Tia before we left for the Final Egg base. Optimus Prime was an admirable character to me too. Maybe I did learn a bit about leadership from him...or just learned how to make good motivational speeches."

"You do that very well, Steel," giggled Tia, who was busy building one of the ship's engines.

"Do any of you...know how to operate an airship?" asked Rusty. "You did not fly here yourselves, correct?"

"True," confirmed Steel. "We have built-in jet boosters, but they can only take us so far before seriously depleting our power cells. If we tried to travel from the Mystic Ruins to this factory with them, our power cells would die in mid-flight, and we'd end up like the Egg Carrier IV...and its predecessors, right, Tia?"

"Well, the first and third Egg Carrier did crash into the ocean. The second was vaporized by Perfect Chaos," replied Tia. "Rusty has a point though. None of us have any experience flying an airship."

"I have that covered," grinned Gray. "I'm creating an automated pilot/navigation program based on my own AI code. I plan to test it by running it through simulated flight scenarios on this factory's computer. It might even have some flight data from some of Eggman's airships on its hard drive." As soon as he finished building the console containing the navigation program, he did exactly as promised and connected it to the Reactive Factory's mainframe, where it proceeded to download flight data from the hard drive before running through a number of flight simulations. While it worked, Rusty walked over to the mainframe, still carrying a slab of sheet metal in his hands. "Hello, pilot," he greeted.

The pilot program didn't respond, being completely occupied with learning how to fly.

"Are you capable of speech?" the red robot asked.

"She's...kinda busy at the moment, Rusty," answered Gray. "Yes, she can talk, and the voice module is female-oriented. At the moment, she's entirely focused on her prime directive. She has the potential to grow out, but that will take time," the gray-furred android continued as he connected one of a series of holographic projectors to the ceiling of the ship's interior. "That's why I'm installing these holographic projection modules. They'll allow her to project an avatar of her own creation when she reaches that stage in her evolution."

"Yeah, you can get to know your niece when this ship is up and running, Rusty. For now, let's just focus on getting it to that point, OK?"

"Alright, Steel," nodded Rusty as he returned to work, bending the large slabs of sheet metal into shape while Steel and Tia welded them together.

The work continued well into the next day, and, by the time the sun began to set, the airship was finished off with a a steel-blue and silver color scheme inspired by the leader of this rag-tag band of free-thinking robots and one friendly rat.

"Well, the airship is complete, and I like the look of it. All it needs is a name." Steel put his hand on his chin to think about what to call this new vessel.

"Can we call it the Deliverance?" asked Rusty, not really being able to come up with a better name.

"How about the Epoch?" Tia suggested before shaking her head. "Never mind...Too unoriginal."

"The Ark, perhaps?" Gray shook his head. "I doubt that's much better." He then snapped his fingers. "I got it! The Metal Vanguard!"

"That's perfect!" commented Steel.

"I like it too," added Tia.

"I could not have conceived a better name," commented Rusty. "I am not very creative."

"Well, now that we've agreed on a name, shall we climb aboard and head out?" suggested Steel before entering the ship and taking a seat at the cockpit. The other three robots nodded and joined him, the door closing behind Rusty, who was the last to enter.

"Avina, what's our status? Are we ready for launch?" asked Gray, addressing his newest creation.

"All systems nominal. Fuel reserves at 100% We are ready for launch," announced the ship's AI, who had been given the name Avina. "What is our destination?"

"Tails' Workshop, Mystic Ruins," replied Steel.

"Destination set. ETA: 5 hours, 14 minutes at maximum speed. Fuel expenditure: 97%. Launch?"

"Yes. Full speed ahead, Avina!"

"Aye-aye, Captain Steel!"

With that, the Metal Vanguard took off for the Mystic Ruins, where the team would refuel while giving Tia new coverings and possibly upgrading Rusty.


	18. WORKSHOP REUNION

"Destination approaching," announced Avina as the Metal Vanguard descended into the clearing near Tails' Workshop. Outside, Tia could see what appeared to be an Arctic Vixen in her teens marveling at the shrubs that lined the building. Hearing the roar of the airship's engines, the girl looked up before running back inside. Seconds later, Tails and Sonic ran out, with the latter getting into a battle-ready stance, believing the Metal Vanguard to be one of Eggman's airships.

"I don't think this one's Dr. Eggman's, Sonic."

"Then whose could it be?" asked Sonic, not really knowing anyone else who would fly around in an airship.

"It's based on a prototype airship design I came up with recently. I think it might be Steel's. He did say something about wanting to build an airship for his Metal Rescue Mission."

Tails' hunch was confirmed when the hatch of the airship opened, and the robotic quartet emerged.

"Woah! Is that Metal Knuckles?" asked a surprised Sonic when he saw the red Echidna-type Metal step off the ship, carrying Rhodes on his left shoulder. "Since when has an Eggbot ever been friendly to an animal?"

"As I remember, Metal Knuckles displayed a fascination with rats when we first encountered him at Eggman's Reactive Factory base on Christmas Island," replied Tails. "I guess that, unrestrained, he was allowed to embrace that fascination. He also seemed hesitant to fight us initially."

"So it wasn't buggy programming?" asked the puzzled blue Hedgehog.

"Not unless you're Dr. Eggman," replied the genius Kit. "He no doubt programmed in some sort of system that suppressed the emotions Metal Knuckles was clearly developing in order to make him more effective in combat. Perhaps the damage we did to him, along with the years of disrepair, may have damaged that program."

Tails' talk about the emotional capacity of Eggman's more advanced robots caused Sonic to think back to his last confrontation with Metal Sonic.

Metal Sonic had once again broken free of Eggman's control, and had gone on his own quest for power and revenge. Sonic, along with Tails and Knuckles, had finally caught up to the robotic doppelganger at the pinnacle of the Master Emerald Shrine, where he stood atop the large green gem with a crazed glow in his eyes. "This is where it ends, Copy! I will be the real Sonic! I will be the ONLY Sonic!" Metal ranted as he proceeded to draw power from the Master Emerald, turning from his normal blue color into a glowing gold before charging at the Triple Threat with an electrified barrier around himself.

Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles barely dodged the attack, causing Metal to crash into one of the vine-covered pillars surrounding the shrine, nearly knocking it onto its red-furred guardian, who reacted by smashing it with his massive fists.

"It doesn't matter how strong you get," shouted the blue hero. "You're just a machine! You're not alive! You can't win!" He then proceeded to reveal the seven legendary Chaos Emeralds, which began spinning around him faster and faster until they became a blur of multi-colored light that transformed the Hedgehog's fur from blue to a glowing golden hue similar to what Metal gained from the Master Emerald. Sonic then clasped his hands with Tails and Knuckles, imbuing both with the same Chaos Energy that now flowed through him. "There's only one Sonic!"

After both parties had transformed, a long, grueling battle ensued that lit up the skies surrounding Angel Island, which had begun falling out of the sky due to the disturbance of the Master Emerald.

When it ended, with Metal lying broken and face-down on the grounds of the Emerald shrine, Sonic stood triumphantly in front of the sparking robot with his trademark grin. "I told you, Metalhead. You can't beat the real deal."

"End...it," Metal said weakly. "You are...the only Sonic...End it!"

Sonic was taken aback. Was Metal Sonic really asking him to finish him off?

"This...is not a game. If I cannot win, why do you not destroy me?"

Sonic didn't answer, instead running off with Tails while Metal continued to lie there, motionless.

"I...I enjoyed fighting the old Metalhead," Sonic said as he came out of his flashback. "To me...I guess it was just a game." The blue speedster shook his head. It was unlike him to look back on the past. Now, in the presence of all these recovered and restored Metals, he found himself doing just that. He turned to his tech-savvy Fox friend. "Tails, do you think I should've handed Metal over to you...so you could do whatever you did for Steel...instead of just leaving him at the Emerald Shrine?"

"Maybe I should've considered doing so myself," answered the twin-tailed Kit.

"We'll save Metal Sonic too," spoke Steel as he placed a hand on Tails' shoulder. "A friend...told us what happened to him. He's one of us. We'll do what we can for him."

"Thanks, Steel. I never really had regrets before, but I do now," replied Sonic. "Metal was practically as alive as Tails and I, but I treated fighting him like a game...and that's the real reason why I never destroyed him. I guess getting beaten to near-death and taunted really ate away at him. Is that why he went Overlord? Is that why he tried to power himself up on the Master Emerald? To end his own suffering?"

"That, and to fulfill the programming by which he was still bound." Steel sighed. "My brother...he gained enough freedom to defy Dr. Eggman, but not enough to defy the prime directive programmed into him."

"You know...that ship of yours looks big enough for a few extra passengers," commented Sonic, trying to flash his trademark grin, but only producing a half-hearted smile.

"You're wanting to join us. You want to personally make things right with Metal."

"You read my mind, Steel...or was it that UT thing of yours?"

Steel blushed. "Well, it is...mostly, but don't think I haven't learned how to read facial expressions. That's not your usual cocky grin you have on your face."

Sonic laughed nervously, then looked around to see that Gray, Rusty, Rhodes, Teyla, and Tia had gone inside. "Seems like your friends were in a hurry to get into the workshop. Tia looked a little naked. Must've been embarrassing for her to look like a female Anthro Terminator."

"We ran into a bit of trouble back at the Final Egg Base. Then, we got captured," the steel-blue android explained. "Eggman had built a new Metal unit, who...attacked us at the Final Egg. Rather than being programmed with a conventional master obedience program, this Metal was controlled by an imprint protocol. He viewed Eggman as his father, and Eggman kept up a fatherly facade to manipulate him into doing his bidding. He had the Metal, Metaro, convinced that you were evil, and that we had been kidnapped and brainwashed by Tails. Metaro was tasked with 'saving' us, but Eggman's real plan was to have the kid absorb us into himself to become a new Metal Overlord that he would control."

"You didn't get to save that one, did you?" asked Sonic, noticing that only two other Metals came with Steel and Tia on the airship.

Steel sighed and shook his head. "Gray and I managed to push Eggman into spilling the beans in front of Metaro on the Egg Carrier IV. The kid was pretty shaken by the revelation. He was ready to turn on the Doctor, who proceeded to order him reset. Fortunately, Gray was able to at least partially override the process, and Metaro retained enough of his personality to...to integrate himself into the ship, drop us off, and crash it into the ocean." A tear rolled down Steel's cheek.

"I'm sorry," said Sonic, trying to comfort the leader of the Metals. "Sounds like you could've been good friends with this Metal if you succeeded. He must've meant a lot to you."

"Even if I weren't a robot, I could never forget Metaro or his sacrifice. He allowed us to save Metal Knuckles, build our airship, and continue our mission."

"This Metaro...The way you talk about him makes it sound like he had a full personality...and a strong sense of justice."

Steel nodded. "He did. He acted like a young boy. In a way, he kinda reminded me of a younger version of you with his exuberance. Eggman no doubt intended that personality to prevent you from going all in fighting him until he'd absorbed the rest of us."

"I'm definitely going with you guys then," Sonic replied, fists clenched in anger at the new low to which his arch nemesis had stooped. "I wanna teach that Egghead a lesson. I figured he was up to something when a squad of Eggbots attacked the workshop, and, I hate to say it, but I don't think Metaro crashing his airship would've been enough to stop him. Baldy Nosehair seems to ALWAYS have some sort of Plan B."

"That's what I feared. The thought haunted me enough to give me...a nightmare, but that nightmare, and the encouragement of my friends, only strengthened my resolve to see this mission through to the end."

Sonic smiled and patted Steel on the back. "You remind me of myself in the best way possible, Steel. I'm proud of what you've become."

With that, Sonic and Steel both went inside to reunite with the others. Gray, naturally, was busy applying Tia's new coverings, while Rusty was attempting to talk to the Arctic Fox girl who just quietly stared out the window.

"What is wrong?" the red robot asked, sensing that this girl was perhaps fearful of him. "I will not harm you."

"Eggbot..." she replied almost inaudibly before dashing into the corner.

"Teyla there is still really shaken up by the Eggbot attack. They almost destroyed her original body...if you can call it that," explained Tails. "I had to perform an emergency transfer to her current body since the damage her old one sustained was taking its toll on her systems."

"Ah...I understand," replied Rusty. "She looks fascinating to me. I wanted to talk to her."

"Good luck with that, Metal Knux," snarked Sonic. "I can't get her to talk either, and I trashed the squad of Eggbots who nearly took her old fan bod out."

"Please call me Rusty," the Echidna-type Metal corrected as he watched Rhodes jump off his shoulder and scurry over to Teyla's side, causing the easily-spooked android to jump before looking at him and sighing.

"She seems to really like animals, so that rat of yours might get her to open up a little...I hope. I really don't like seeing her like this." the genius Fox said with a sigh. "It makes me feel like I didn't do enough for her, and she was my first attempt at an AI."

By now, Teyla had scooped the rodent up into her arms and was staring at him warmly. "You say...he is not bad?" she asked, catching Rusty's attention.

"That is Rhodes. He is my friend."

"Rhodes..." Teyla repeated, giggling a little for the first time. "I am Teyla."

"You opened up!" observed an excited Rusty.

"You will not hurt me, will you?" the android asked, tilting her head to the side.

"Of course not. I never liked being a weapon."

Teyla finally approached the red robot, trying to smile despite still being nervous in the presence of an Eggbot.

"I cannot smile like that," he commented, causing the Arctic Vixen gynoid to blush while her tail swished back and forth. "Do you like it?"

"Yes, I do. It is beautiful."

"Thank you. You are a...nice Eggbot."

"Looks like Rhodes is a furry little ambassador," laughed Sonic. "That, or he's a matchmaker."

Tails laughed with the Hedgehog "I'm really glad she's coming out of her shell. I can't expect her to be exactly like Tia, but it's nice to see her happy. It'll really be nice if she works up the courage to come with us. I'd hate to leave her here alone. I've neglected her for too long."

"I'm sure she forgives you. You treat her better than Eggman would."


	19. DESTINATION: SOUTH ISLAND

Gray continued to work into the night, finishing Tia's covering before approaching Rusty with an offer to upgrade him as well. The robot formerly known as Metal Knuckles gladly accepted the offer, wanting to be able to smile back at Teyla when she smiled at him.

"I think you have strong feelings for Teyla. Am I right, Rusty?" asked the de facto Smart Guy of the Metal Team.

"Yes, I do. I did...since I first saw her." Rusty would be blushing if he could.

While Gray worked on Rusty's android body, Steel and Tia sat outside in front of the Metal Vanguard with Teyla, who simply looked up at the star-lit sky with a smile.

"Have you decided yet, Sis?" asked Tia, causing the timid gynoid to jump.

"I am...unsure. Here, I will be alone, but...with you...I will be in danger."

"It's ultimately up to you. I don't want you to be lonely, and...I would like to get to know my big sister better."

"I...can't fight."

"You don't have to," reassured Steel. "If the Eggbots threaten you, we'll protect you."

"I do...want to see the world. I will come."

"I'm sure Rusty will be glad to know that. He really likes you, you know."

Teyla blushed. "He is nice."

"That he is," agreed Steel before turning toward the airship. "Avina, what's our refueling status?"

"Refueling is 79% complete, Captain."

Steel chuckled. He always did find it flattering when the Metal Vanguard's AI addressed him as Captain. He never officially gave himself that role.

"You are Captain?" asked Teyla.

"Not officially," the steel-blue android replied, blushing. "She's been calling me Captain since she came online."

"Well, you are a natural leader, Steel," commented Tia. "Maybe I should make you a Matrix choker necklace. I think such a thing would look cute on you."

Steel laughed and put his arm around the cream-colored gynoid, who responded by putting her arm around him with a giggle as both closed their eyes and relaxed. Both androids remained in this relaxed state until a newly-upgraded Rusty emerged from the front door of the workshop, now resembling a red Echidna with tan skin, white-tipped dreadlocks, bright green eyes, and an unruly forelock that stuck out between his eyes and curved backwards. He was clothed in a pair of gray and silver boots with silver cuffs and white gloves with wrist cuffs identical to the ones that lined his boots. Rhodes was perched on his shoulder, nibbling away at a piece of cheese.

"Rusty, is that you?" asked Teyla as she stood up and dusted off her light blue dress.

"Yes, it is. Are you coming with us?"

"I am. I want to see the world, and...I don't want to be lonely."

"You won't be," smiled Rusty.

"I know, and that might...make it easier...to be brave."

"I...I don't like to fight, but...if you are in danger...I will."

Teyla smiled and hugged the red-furred android tightly, her tail wagging excitedly. Both androids remained locked in that embrace until Sonic burst through the front door, with Tails following close behind. "So, are we ready to rock?" the Hedgehog asked.

"Refueling is 100% complete, Sonic," answered Avina. "We are ready to launch. I have plotted a course for Scrap Brain Zone, South Island. That is where you will find the Prototype, correct?"

"Guess so. Haven't been to South Island in a long time," commented Sonic. "Hey, Rusty! Is she squeezing too tight?"

"Not at all," Rusty replied. "Why do you ask?"

"She's reminding me of Amy hugging you like that. I literally have to pull that girl off of me or she'll crush me!"

"This Amy must experience similar emotions toward you that...I feel toward Teyla."

"That would be an understatement, Rusty. Amy's OBSESSED with me! At least you wouldn't stalk Teyla or threaten to bash another guy's head in with a giant mallet if he even talked to her."

"If she wouldn't want me to, I would not."

"Well, if we're all done talking about girls and romance, what do you say we climb into that airship of yours and head out? I'm starting to get bored just hanging out here."

"Right," nodded Steel. "Besides, if we just stay here, Eggman could beat us to Proto. Let's roll!"

With that, Steel, Sonic, Tails, Tia, Teyla, Gray, Rusty, and Rhodes climbed aboard the Metal Vanguard and headed for South Island. None of them knew what awaited them on their journey or at their destination.


	20. TURBULANCE

As soon as everyone got on board, the Metal Vanguard lifted off, carrying Steel and his friends to South Island.

"Avina, was it?" began Sonic, not having properly been introduced to the ship's pilot AI.

"Yes Sonic. How may I help you?"

"How long is this gonna take?"

"Our ETA is three hours and fifteen minutes. I always plot the most efficient route to a destination. You have only been on this ship for two minutes. Are you getting bored already?"

Sonic scratched his back-most quill. "Yeah, I kinda am."

"Don't take it personally, Avina. Sonic bores easily," commented Tails.

"It would appear so," the AI replied in agreement, a hint of weariness in her voice. These first signs of personality caused Gray to smile. His creation was growing out faster than expected, all thanks to a hyperactive blue Hedgehog.

Steel, meanwhile, leaned back in his seat near the cockpit, with Tia seated next to them. Both were watching an episode of G1 Transformers on the control panel's main monitor.

Elsewhere, Rusty, Rhodes, and Teyla sat together near one of the airship's windows, smiling as they watched the world pass by below them.

"Beaufitul view," commented the soft-spoken Arctic Vixen gynoid.

Rusty smiled. "I agree."

Both androids leaned towards each other, preparing to embrace, but were interrupted by a red blur streaking past their window. This sudden interruption caused Teyla to cling to her companion in fear. "What...was that?"

"I...do not know," replied Rusty, more than a little nervous himself.

Suddenly, the whole ship was shaken by a heavy impact, knocking anyone who was not seated to the floor. "Whoa! What was that?" asked a startled Sonic.

"Heavy impact in aft sector," reported Avina. "Hull breach imminent."

"Sounds like someone's trying to make the skies a bit less friendly," snarked the Hedgehog as he got into a battle-ready stance. "I doubt we even need to GUESS who."

Another impact shook the ship, creating a hole in the rear through which a Hedgehog-type Metal entered and looked around.

"Hull breach!" alerted Avina. "Intruder on board! Activating internal security," she continued before activating the turrets inside the ship and aiming them at the strange Metal, who laughed an instantly familiar laugh. "I think not," it taunted before firing Plasma pulses from the palms of its hands, knocking the turrets offline.

At this point, Sonic had made his way to the mysterious Metal's entry point. "I don't remember any of us inviting you to the party!" he shouted before launching a Homing Attack at the Metal.

"Ah...Sonic," laughed the Metal as he swatted the Hedgehog away. "I never would've expected you to be protecting mere machines who were built to destroy you!"

"Wait...Eggman?" asked a bewildered Sonic as he regained his footing and prepared for another attack.

The Egg-Metal laughed. "Indeed, you spiky blue pest! I've undergone a bit of an upgrade, but this is only the beginning!"

"I'd rather think of it as the end, Egghead!" retorted the blue speedster before Spindashing into the robot's feet, attempting to knock him over, if not cause some damage. The attack connected, knocking the robot out of the hole in the ship that it had created. He followed this up with a Homing Attack aimed at the Egg-Metal's midsection, sending it into a hard fall. Avina quickly maneuvered the ship underneath Sonic to catch his fall.

"Nice try, Sonic," taunted the Egg-Metal as it activated its jets and launched a Homing Attack of its own, which the blue Hedgehog quickly dodged. "Too slow, Metalhead!" the hero smirked before jumping behind his adversary and Homing Attacking his jet intake.

The Egg-Metal's eyes glowed a bright, menacing red as liquid metal poured into the dents that Sonic had made, quickly repairing them while the mad machine laughed. "Even in this basic form, I won't be so easily defeated, and once I've absorbed your friends on board that ship, I'll be invincible!"

"Which is why I'm not gonna LET you absorb them," the Hedgehog fired back before running in circles around the Egg-Metal until creating a blue tornado that sent the evil robot flying upward uncontrollably. He followed this up with a Homing Attack, which sent the Egg-Metal flying away from the ship.

Avina quickly locked onto the stunned Egg-Metal with the ship's side-cannons, firing on him before he could regain control of his flight path. "Sonic and the Metals are not alone, and they are not unarmed," she taunted. "Do not underestimate the Metal Vanguard!" With the Egg-Metal tumbling out of control toward parts unknown, Avina opened a roof hatch for Sonic, causing the Hedgehog to jump back into the ship with a backflip and a thumbs-up. "Nice shooting, Avina!"

"My pleasure, Sonic," replied the AI. "Thank you for getting him into position."

"I wasn't really planning for it to go like that, but whatever. Let's get to Scrap Brain before that crazy Egg-Metal recovers and makes his move."

"I'm on it," informed Avina, finally constructing an avatar of a pink Cockatiel with her plumage tied in a fuscia-colored ring. She clothed this holographic body in a fuscia-and-lavendar tracksuit, white gloves, and white boots with lavendar accents.

"That's a good look for you, Avina," grinned the blue speed demon, giving her a thumbs-up and being glad that Amy wasn't there to knock him around with her hammer for saying nice things about another girl.

"It's a good thing Amy's not here," Tails commented, voicing the same sentiment as Sonic. "If she didn't try pounding your head in, she'd be trying to smash Avina's hologram..."

"And no doubt making a dent in the floor of this ship," added the AI, finishing the Fox Kit's thought. "Assuming that hammer of hers is powerful enough to do so."

"You have no idea," groaned Sonic. "I just wish she'd stick to using it on Eggman's robots...Present company excluded, of course."

"I'd rather not consider myself one of Eggman's robots anymore," remarked Steel. "I'm my own robot now."

"That goes double for me, Steel," grinned Gray as he worked to patch up the hole the Egg-Metal had made in the ship's hull.

"Triple for me," Rusty chimed in, still holding a quivering Teyla in his arms, trying his best to comfort her.


	21. THE PROTOTYPE

After fending off the Egg-Metal and patching up the damage done to the Metal Vanguard, its crew relaxed as the ship made its way to the delapidated Scrap Brain Zone.

"Destination approaching," announed Avina before running a scan on the abandoned factory complex. "Power appears to have failed throughout the facitity due to generator failure. Good thing the sun's still out."

"Good thing we can SEE the sun here," added Sonic, remembering how the thick smog the factory produced in its prime practically blocked out the sunlight and rendered the sky a putrid yellow-brown. "I remember when this place was spewing so much crud into the air that it was impossible to see it." Sonic shook his head and shuddered.

"This talk about power supplies is making me consider upgrading this ship to solar power," commented Gray. "Perhaps it can be done with materials salvaged from this factory."

"Well, provided that crazy Egg-Metal doesn't come back, we should have time to do such an upgrade while the others search for the prototype," added Tails. "Speaking of that...it seemed to act as if IT was Dr. Eggman himself."

"Yeah," confirmed Sonic. "Did Eggman turn himself into a Metal somehow?"

"He could have if he managed to implement successful mind uploading. Such technology has been theorized about for as long as AI research has been mainstream."

"At least he lost the egg belly," laughed Sonic as the Metal Vanguard landed at the largest opening Avina could find that was closest to the prototype. "Well, this is as close as I could get," the AI announced. "Good luck, guys. I'll keep the ship's defenses active in case the Egg-Metal comes back." Her avatar gave a thumbs-up as her friends disembarked, with Tails and Gray splitting off from the others to search for parts for their solar power upgrade project.

"So," began Sonic, "There was a robot knock-off...err...Metal BEFORE Gray?"

"Yeah, but it was never deployed," replied Tia. "Eggman was using it, and the one Chaos Emerald he managed to obtain during his South Island attack, to test an experimental Chaos Reactor that would allow the Emeralds to power a robot and boost its abilities with each new one obtained. Unfortunately, the reactor within the Metal Prototype was so unstable that it overloaded the robot's system when the Emerald was installed and it was activated. It went completely out of control and had to be deactivated."

"Then won't it do the same if we reactivate it again?" asked Sonic.

"Without an Emerald, its power, in all aspects, will be limited," the cream-colored gynoid replied. "It may not even remember what it did. Eggman's journal entries on the prototype reveal that, upon memory scan, almost all of its programming was corrupted by the overload. Its mind will likely be a blank slate."

"We're gonna reactivate him either way. Gray and Tails can always modify him to run on a more conventional power supply," said a determined-as-always Steel. "I can't let this one remain abandoned and alone here for Eggman to use in his scheme. I think I know what he plans to do."

"What's that?" asked Sonic, although he knew that, whatever the bad Doctor had planned wouldn't be good for anyone.

"That Metal you fought...I have a feeling Tails is onto something, and that it IS Eggman. He's going to attempt to do what he attempted to have Metaro do. He's gonna absorb the prototype."

Eventually, a frightened gasp from Teyla alerted Sonic, Steel, and Tia to the presence of the prototype. Rusty was quick to put a hand on her shoulder. "He is inactive, Teyla."

The Arctic Vixen android slowly approached the sleepign robot, gently lifting up its right arm, which created a loud creaking sound. "He looks...sad. His head is down," she observed.

"Yeah, he does," Steel confirmed before opening up his chest panel and reconnecting various disconnected circuits before pressing a button. "I hope this works. I'm not as good at this as Tails or Gray."

After pressing the button and backing away, Steel watched as a pair of yellow pupils flickered into existence on the black visor that served as the prototype's eyes. The robot then jerkily tried to pull itself up before letting out a long, drawn-out "Ahh."

"So this is Silver Sonic Version 0, huh?" remarked Sonic, a bit unimpressed by this clunky-looking Hedgehog-shaped robot that was covered in rust spots and apparently struggling even to speak. "Can it even talk?"

"It does have a speech module," answered Tia, "but the overload wiped out its database, meaning that it likely doesn't know how to talk."

"This is gonna be fun then," snarked the blue Hedgehog as the clunky robot turned its head to face him, uttering a simple "Ee?"

Sonic wasn't sure how to reply, scratching the back of his ear while just staring back at the robot before him. "Uhh...I'm Sonic," he finally said.

"Uuuuuuuuhhhh...I'm...Soooo-nic," the prototype repeated, earning a facepalm from the Hedgeghog.

Steel just chuckled before introducing himself. "I'm Steel, one of your fellow Metals. Like you, I was abandoned by Dr. Eggman."

The prototype slowly turned his head to face Steel. "Steeeeeeeeeeel...Me-tal. You...Steel?"

Steel nodded. "Yes, I'm Steel."

"It seems like his learning algorithms are intact," smiled Tia. "Over time, he'll no doubt learn to say more."

"Yeah, but can he keep up with us?" asked Sonic, still not impressed with this infantile machine, earning a stern look from Steel.

"Keep up!" repeated Proto, the words not being as drawn-out as before. "Can you keep up, Sonic?"

"Kid, I could outrun you," bragged the Hedgehog, his ego overriding any knowledge that the prototype probably didn't fully know what it was saying.

"I'm...Kid?" repeated the Prototype. "You outrun?"

"No problem!" grinned Sonic, ready to put his trademark speed on full display for the impressionable machine.

"I...keep up!"

Sonic just smirked before taking off at full speed, easily jumping over and weaving between the piles of scrap and debris littering the ground. The prototype watched for a bit before activating its own jets and taking off after the Hedgehog, eventually crashing through a wall before ploughing into the pile of scrap atop which the blue Hedgehog stood. The impact caused the scrap pile to collapse, forcing Sonic to jump onto another pile.

"I keep up, So-nic!" announced the prototype.

"Yeah, but you definitely need some flying lessons."

"Flying lessons? I keep up, Sonic!"

"You crashed through a wall," countered the Hedgehog, pointing to the hole in the wall that the robot created. "You're not supposed to do that."

"Not crash through wall...to keep up?"

"No way," replied Sonic with a sigh. He wanted to say that smashing through walls was okay if breaking into an active Egg Base, but didn't want to confuse this 'Kid.'

Steel was quick to catch up to the prototype, who was now using his jets to hover a few feet off the ground. "If you'd like, we can help you. We could upgrade you with newer technology. We could give you a name if you'd like," the steel-blue android offered.

"Name...Silver Sonic Zero...Zero!" replied the dated robot. "Name Zero?"

Steel smiled. "If that's what you want it to be, then yes."

"Name Zero! Yes!"

"Well, Zero, do you want to come with us?" asked Steel.

"Yes! Zero come with Steel."

"Then welcome to the party, Zero."

"Kid's not too bad," commented Sonic. "Seems like he'll at least be a fast learner."

"You keep up with Zero, Sonic?"

"In a race, I probably could, but I don't know about learning. You're learning to talk faster than I did."

"That is good?"

"Oh yeah."

Steel smiled a bit before shedding a tear, Zero's childishness reminding him of Metaro. Zero noticed this and tilted his head, getting the impression that something was wrong despite his lack of knowledge about emotions. The outdated robot placed one of the pincer claws that served as his hands below the android's weepy eye, catching the next tear that fell. Steel responded by chuckling as he gently put a hand around Zero's wrist. "You kinda remind me of someone."

"Someone?" the robot repeated.

"Yeah. He was a young-minded robot like you. His name was Metaro."

"Metaro...no keep up?" asked Zero, trying his best to ask why Metaro wasn't around with his limited vocabulary.

Steel sighed. "He was with Dr. Eggman, who was manipulating him into believing that Sonic was evil, and that my friends and I had been brainwashed into serving him. He also pretended to be fatherly toward the bot, but was really just roping him along until he was ready to fully put his plans for him in motion."

"What Eggman's plans?" asked Zero, quickly picking up on the words Steel and his friends had spoken.

"He planned to have Metaro absorb the previous robots from his line into himself to become more powerful. This included you. Unfortunately for the Doctor, Metaro learned of the plan a bit prematurely, and his sense of morality caused him to begin seeing through the lies he was told. Eggman had prepared for this, and ordered him to be reset. One of my friends managed to stop the reset from going through, allowing Metaro to retain enough of his identity to sacrifice himself so that we could eventually make our way to you."

Zero hung his head in both thought and sadness, though he barely understood the latter. "N-N-New name...Name Metaro!"

Steel wasn't sure how to react to Zero's decision to take Metaro's name for himself. He knew the prototype Metal didn't understand the full emotional impact of the Metal Boy's sacrifice. Would it be respectful to the fallen Metal's legacy to allow this clueless robot to take his name?

"No way?" asked the childish Metal. "Not Metaro?"

"That's...up to you," Steel replied uneasily. "If you do decide to call yourself Metaro, I guess...I'd have to get used to it, but it won't be easy."

"I...stay Zero."

"Again, it's up to you. In the end, I started this journey to give all Metals the chance for freedom. I can't deny that to you based on my own personal feelings, hard as that can be. Metaro was the one I couldn't save, but he saved me and my friends. His final request was that I never forget him. That's not just a matter of not deleting files from my memory either. I'm more than just a robot."

Zero looked at his pincer claw, as well as all the other parts of his body that he could see, and compared them to Steel's. "Steel...no robot."

"That's because I've been given upgrades to make me look like a real Anthro. It's what I wanted. If you want, you can receive similar upgrades. I think I have the perfect template in mind for you if you say yes."

"Yes! I want upgrade!"


	22. EGG-METAL RETURNS

EGG-METAL RETURNS

As soon as Zero agreed to be upgraded, Tia giggled and sang an improvised fanfare. "Metal Prototype Zero has joined the party!"

"Par-ty?" Zero repeated, tilting his head to the side.

"Yeah, it's JRPG speak for adventuring group," the Vixen gynoid clarified, causing Zero to tap his left ear with his pincer, not knowing what Tia meant by 'JRPG.'

"It's a slow-paced type of video game that Tails, Steel, and Tia like," explained Sonic. "Personally, I find them boring."

"Tails...par-ty too?" asked the childish Metal.

"Yeah. He and Gray are waiting for us back at our ship," answered the Vixen gynoid.

Just then, Zero turned his head away from Sonic and the others and seemed to just stare off into space, prompting the Blue Blur to tap him on the shoulder. "What's up, Zero? Are you just in a daze or are your sensors picking something up?"

"Pick-ing some-thing up," replied the antiquated machine.

"I'm picking it up too," announced Steel. "It's approaching pretty quickly." Just then, he received a signal from his communicator from Avina, which he immediately answered.

"I'm picking up an incoming object with the same signature as that robot who attacked us on the way here," the AI reported.

"He's coming," the leader of the Metals stated, his face and posture tensing up. "I know what for. We can't let him absorb Zero."

"It's in visual range, and it appears to have been upgraded," Avina continued.

"He must've...gotten Metal Sonic," Steel quickly concluded before hanging his head and balling his hands into fists. "Scans indicate his new upgrades are based on parts from both Metal Sonic and E-" Avina was suddenly cut off by the sound of a missile whizzing toward the ship and striking the communications array.

"He did get Metal...and someone called E."

"Team Dark was assigned to guard Metal's containment capsule at the GUN base," recalled Tia. "The 'E' must be E-123 Omega. Egg-Metal must've absorbed him too...and gotten the better of Shadow and Rouge. That wouldn't be an easy feat for Eggman or a typical Metal-type robot. Those three were the best fighters GUN had."

"You failed," rang Eggman's voice in Steel's head, causing the Echidna android to clutch his temples and fall to his knees. Zero was quick to rush to his new friend's side. "What's...up...Steel?" he asked, choosing the only words he could find to ask what was wrong.

"We didn't defeat that Egg-Metal when he attacked us, and we failed to save Metal Sonic...like we failed to save Metaro," Steel sighed.

"Hey! There's only one of him, and eight of us, counting Avina, and I already wrecked him once. We can take him. He might have a shiny new metal body, but he's still the same Eggman I've beaten too many times to count!" bragged Sonic, attempting to cheer Steel up with his usual cocky attitude.

"You only managed to change his priorities, Sonic. Since he knew where Metal Sonic was, he figured he'd go for him while we went for Zero. I didn't see the fight, but you probably didn't do much damage. You only slowed him down...briefly. Now, he's probably much stronger than he was when he attacked us earlier."

Sonic simply grinned, juggling the Blue Chaos Emerald in his hand. "No problem."

"Yeah, no problem...if you even have all of those Emeralds. Besides, if you destroy this Egg-Metal while Metal Sonic and Omega are part of him, you destroy them too. I wanted to save Metal, like I saved Rusty, Gray, and Zero."

"Metal...kinda wanted to be destroyed...or at least...he asked me why I didn't finish him off after our last battle."

Steel said nothing, just giving Sonic a very stern look. "We WILL save him...somehow..."

"How?" asked Sonic, honestly not knowing how to extract Metal and Omega from the Egg-Metal.

"If their AI cores are intact, maybe we CAN save them," came the voice of Tails, who had just arrived, along with Gray. "If their AI code can be isolated, it can be extracted and downloaded into new bodies," the Kit explained, beginning to tap away on his Miles Electric handheld computer. "The Egg Tech database I copied into Tia contains snippets of code from their AIs. I'm writing a program that will scan the Egg-Metal for those code snippets, and extract that code and everything connected to it."

"That is...IF that code still existed, but it doesn't! It's already been deleted," taunted the Egg-Metal as he landed in front of them. "You failed, Mecha Sonic. You and Metaro both failed!"

"I know," Steel replied softly, now curled up in a fetal position, overwhelmed with guilt, not noticing the cable that had extended from the Egg-Metal's hand and snaked around him, eventually plugging itself into his head.

Egg-Metal chuckled. "Allow me to put you out of your misery before your body becomes one with me!"

"No!" cried Tia as she lept into the air, curled into a ball, and launched herself at the maniacal robot, extending one leg, then the other, to deliver a pair of powerful kicks to the cable that had ensnared Steel. "Come on, Steel! Don't give up! Don't give in! Maybe my father will find SOME remnants of Metal and Omega inside of that monster, and it not, just remember, you saved more than you lost."

"Such sentimental nonsense," Egg-Metal sneered before firing a powerful Plasma Pulse from his chest intake using the same weapon that once belonged to Metal Sonic. When the blinding light of the blast dissipated, Tia was little more than a non-descript pile of molten metal. When Steel saw what remained of the android who had become his soulmate, he stood up and broke the remainder of the cable in half before glaring at the Egg-Metal. "I...I can't let you get any stronger. I can't let you absorb me or any other Metal. Most importantly, I CAN'T let you destroy the people I love!" The enraged android transformed both hands into blasters and focused all his power into them before firing on the Egg-Metal, who simply laughed. "You can never beat me, so why not join me?"

"I'm not alone, Eggman!" Steel retorted as Sonic performed a Homing Attack from one side, while the normally-reluctant Rusty performed a gliding tackle from the other.

"I've got something!" announced Tails. "It's highly fragmented, but it appears to be what remains of Metal's AI. Beginning extraction!"

"Keep at it, Tails," began Gray. "i'm gonna hack Steel up. Eggman may be a machine, but I doubt he's very good at multi-tasking." With that, the gunmetal gray android Spindashed at the Egg-Metal from behind while Rusty, Sonic, and Steel attacked him from the right, left, and front. Zero simply watched, trying his best to study their moves in order to learn how to fight himself. Teyla, meanwhile, had taken shelter with Rhodes in one of the Scrap Brain complex's many abandoned buildings.

"Ahh...Silver Sonic...Metal Knuckles...You're both right where I want you," Egg-Metal cackled as he released cables from his back to ensnare them both. Just then, Zero decided to act. He launched himself into the air and flew toward the Egg-Metal, curling into a ball mid-flight before homing in on the robot and performing a double-kick similar to the one Tia performed to free Steel. "Steel not alone!" he shouted.

"Quite an impressive technique. Perhaps I underestimated your learning abilities. Perhaps I was hasty in writing you off as a useless prototype," Egg-Metal praised before deploying another cable to ensnare Zero. "Of course, it was futile. Why should I allow such potential and power to be wasted on a rogue robot, when it is much better wielded by the one who created it?" With that, the cables began drawing the Metals towards Egg-Metal, dismantling them as they did so and attaching their parts to Egg-Metal's body while the madman-turned-machine laughed. "Well, Mecha Sonic. I'm going to let you remain intact just long enough to watch me absorb those whom you thought you could save."

"No! NO!" Steel shouted before launching a Homing Attack at Egg-Metal's head.

"Sonic! Steel!" called Tails. "Don't hold back. My Extractor has already begun downloading their AIs from Egg-Metal! They'll be rebuilt as soon as this is over!"

Sonic and Steel nodded and gave the genius Kit a thumbs-up before joining hands and spinning around rapidly until they formed a tornado that directed itself at Egg-Metal's mid-section, successfully knocking him backwards a few feet, but not doing much damage. Just then, Sonic noticed a green glow atop one of the scrap heaps. "Looks like we knocked something out of him, Steel. He must've swiped it from Shadow." The blue speed demon quickly rushed toward the source of the glow while Steel attempted to keep the Egg-Metal distracted. No sooner did Sonic reach the Green Chaos Emerald than the mystical gem rose up into the air and encircled his midsection, followed by the six other Emeralds that he had carried with him. The blinding aura of Super Transformation soon enveloped the Hedgehog, then expanded until it enveloped Steel as well, thoroughly surprising the Echidna android and causing his normal vision to be overridden by an endless sea of pulsing green light.


	23. SUPER STEEL

SUPER STEEL

"Where am I?" asked Steel as he looked around, seeing nothing but lattices of pulsing green light. "This isn't the Scrap Brain base, is it?"

"Your physical self is indeed still in what you call Scrap Brain, but your soul is within the Emerald Realm," came an unfamiliar, but gentle female voice.

"But...I'm a robot. Can't only biological creatures have souls?"

"I have learned that that is not correct," answered a calm and monotonous male voice.

"Who are you all, and where are you?" asked a confused Steel. Suddenly, a light orange Echidna girl in a tribal outfit and a red robot appearing to be of Eggman manufacture appeared in front of him.

"We are the souls of those who have sacrificed themselves for the cause of peace," answered the Echidna. "Though it is rare, a synthetic being can possess a soul, like my companion here."

"Why am I here though? I haven't been destroyed yet...have I?"

"Your physical form has utilized Chaos Energy in the past. You are still capable of doing so," answered the red robot.

"I never got to be a super robot hero, but you can, Steel. You can go Super!"

Steel immediately recognized the third voice. "Metaro!"

The kid Metal appeared next to the Echidna, opposite the red robot. "Hi, Steel. You better hurry and use your new power, okay? Sonic needs you. The others need you. The world needs you."

"It is time to destroy Dr. Robotnik. His crimes cannot be allowed to continue."

"Go now, Super Steel, and don't lose hope!"

With that, Steel's vision returned to normal as he could feel his power increasing dramatically.

"What? How can you...Your Super Form was unstable when you used it before!" Egg-Metal said, disbelief permeating his voice and posture.

"That's because, as a machine, I was treating the Master Emerald as a battery. I'm more than a machine now, Doctor!" Steel replied before jumping into the air, stopping over the Egg-Metal's head, and firing a number of energy spikes downwards, which pierced through the evil machine's armor. Sonic gave a quick thumbs-up before following up with a supercharged Homing Attack that smashed through Egg-Metal's midsection and sent him careening into a smokestack.

Tails watched in amazement as the two Supers continued to attack the Egg-Metal, breaking through his armor and reducing him to his base form before glancing back at the screen of his Miles Electric to see that all the AIs had been extracted.

"Sonic, what do you say we finish this guy off together?"

"Let's do it!" the Hedgehog replied before he and Steel performed the same Homing Double Tornado as they had before. This time, though, it was enhanced by the power of the Emeralds, and its impact shattered the Egg-Metal into pieces, which were sent flying in all directions.

With the Egg-Metal finally defeated, Steel and Sonic both reverted to their normal forms, but Steel felt something different about himself. "Could it be?" he asked out loud. "Could that exposure to Chaos Energy have really...transformed me into a creature of flesh and blood?"

"According to the Miles Electric's scanners, it must have," replied Tails. "You deserve it if you ask me."

Steel just scratched the back of his head and blushed. "What about the others? Were you able to save them?"

"Yeah. You and Sonic kept Egg-Metal distracted and intact long enough for my Extractor to extract all their AI cores from his body. With the scrapped parts scattered all over the place here, I could build them some basic endoskeletons, which could be upgraded back at the workshop."

Teyla then emerged from her hiding place, with Rhodes perched on her shoulder. "D-D-Do you think this place could be...upgraded too?" she nervously asked, thinking that Scrap Brain could be made over into something more inviting and homely.

"It would take a LOT of work," commented Steel, "but maybe...it could be. This could be a haven for sentient robots. We could transform this place from a symbol of enslavement to a symbol of freedom."

"I like that idea...a lot," grinned Tails. "What do you say we get started?"

Steel pumped his fist, while Teyla just smiled.


	24. REBIRTH OF METAL

After several days of hard work, Tails had gotten the extracted AIs of Egg-Metal's victims into serviceable endoskeletons. Each one was designed with abilities that would best suit the minds that occupied them. Rusty's endoskeleton was built for physical strength, with the ability to lift ten tons with just one hand. Gray's had a multi-tool built into the right hand, allowing him to exercise his engineering skills by building and repairing things. Zero's endoskeleton was built for high-precision flight, and Tails even took the time to debug the oldest Metal's systems, allowing him to navigate properly and even speak more clearly. Finally, Metal gained a sleek endoskeleton built for speed. Tails figured that, even if he was ready to give up on trying to kill his organic template, Metal would still share Sonic's love of high-speed travel.

Despite being restored to 100% functionality, Metal's memory was still extremely fragmented from Eggman's attempt to delete him. This caused him to behave in ways that his organic counterpart didn't expect. The former Overlord seemed to lose all hostility towards the Blue Blur and his friends, as if one of the things he forgot was that they were ever his enemies. One morning, the reborn Metal was lying in front of a sapling that had started growing in one of the less-polluted parts of the Scrap Brain ruins. Steel and Sonic soon took a seat on either side of the relaxed robot, both wanting to talk to him.

"Hey, Metal," greeted the speedy blue Hedgehog that had once been the robot's mortal enemy. "I uhh...I wanna say that I'm sorry I tortured you."

Metal just stared at Sonic for a bit, trying to remember what Sonic may have done that he could consider torture. "You didn't torture me, did you?"

"I kinda did. I treated fighting you like a game, thinking you were just a machine, and I didn't learn my lesson after you turned into Metal Overlord. I should've realized then that you weren't just a machine anymore. I should've let Tails..."

"You should've let Tails do what?"

"Maybe he could've helped you the way he helped Steel."

"He did help me though," countered Metal. "I was almost deleted, wasn't I? You didn't do that. Eggman did. I think...Eggman tortured me more than you did. There are many gaps in my memory, but...I think...those have given me a chance to be at peace. I've never been at peace."

"After defeating the Egg-Metal, I started feeling the same way," commented Steel. "Before I entered my Super Form, I was somehow...transported to this place called the Emerald Realm. I saw Metaro there, along with what looked like an Echidna girl and another robot. If that place is real, maybe Tia's there too, and maybe they're both watching over me." The android-turned-Echidna picked a small, blue flower that reminded him of Tia's outfit. "I don't think I ever got to tell her how I felt, but I think she knew."

Metal smiled. "Do you think I'll meet a girl like that?"

"Maybe, but what kinda girl would wanna come to a place like this?" asked Sonic. "Yeah, some plants have started to grow, but this place still looks like a dump."

"I think that'll change," grinned Metal as he pointed to Rusty, who was effortlessly carrying a slab of scrap metal. "I think...I think we can make this place a paradise!"

"That new-found optimism of yours...It reminds me of Metaro, Metal. I think...you've been restored to what you must've been before your first mission. You've been reborn."

"Yeah, and we don't have to be enemies anymore...Cobalt," smiled Sonic while offering his fist for a fist-bump.

"Cobalt? Do you want that to be my name?"

"It can be if you want," answered Steel.

"I like it!" Cobalt grinned before bumping Sonic's fist a little too hard and sending him flying backwards. "Oh...Sorry about that."

Sonic chuckled as he brushed himself off. "It's alright, Cobe. Wanna race when this place's makeover is finished?"

"Yeah! I wanna see how fast I can go. Tails told me I could at least keep up with you."

Sonic laughed and offered Cobalt another chance to fist-bump. The android formerly known as Metal Sonic hesitated a bit before returning the gesture, being careful not to bump too hard. Steel simply watched the two former enemies as they shared a laugh. "I feel like, despite all the opposition I faced along the way, I succeeded in my mission. I feel as though, from this day forward, I could be a protector of sentient robots, even if I'm no longer a robot myself."

"I thought I felt something different about you when you turned Super, which was really cool by the way."

"Yeah. I think the power of the Emeralds did it."

"Does that mean any of us could become real with the Emeralds?" asked an intrigued Cobalt.

"It's possible, but I guess you have to be worthy of it...I guess I was...or I guess it was just necessary to keep Egg-Metal from absorbing me."

"Do you like it? Does it feel better than being a robot? I feel like it would."

"I still have some things to get used to, like eating and drinking to refuel," the Echidna replied as his stomach began to grumble. Sonic heard this and raced off to find his friends, and himself, something to eat, quickly returning with enough chili dogs to feed himself, Tails, and Steel. While the Hedgehog, Fox, and Echidna ate, Rhodes helped himself to the crumbs his companions dropped on the ground, earning chuckles from his guardian and his girlfriend.


End file.
